


Adventures In Temmie-Sitting

by RubyDracoGirl



Category: Undertale (Video Game), underswap
Genre: Alternate Universe - Underswap (Undertale), Bara Sans (Undertale), Big Brother W. D. Gaster, Big Sans, Boss Monsters Are Bara, Buff Blueberry, Ecto-Genitalia (Undertale), Ecto-Tongue (Undertale), F/M, Female Chara (Undertale), Fluff and Angst, Gaster is swapped with the River person, Male Frisk (Undertale), Masturbation, Oc Is Self Insert, Oc is easily attached, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route, Rating Changed, Rating May Change, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Smut, Smut has begun oh lord, Some monsters have heightened senses, Soulmates, Swearing, Temmie has the mental age of a teenager, Temmie is also a girl, Underswap Papyrus (Undertale), Underswap Sans (Undertale), monster and human ocs, not gonna lie, some of the chapters are long, this is actually pretty self-indulgent
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-08
Updated: 2019-09-14
Packaged: 2020-01-07 00:28:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 122,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18399431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RubyDracoGirl/pseuds/RubyDracoGirl
Summary: Roxy has worked as a nanny for the past five years. She feels like she can handle pretty much anything... But can she handle working for a monster family, watching over a monsterkid that wants nothing more than to get her to quit?





	1. Job Hunting Anxiety

**Author's Note:**

> This my first Undertale fanfiction that I'm publishing, and also, my first fiction that I'm posting on AO3, after lurking for so long. A warning, this fanfiction is purely self-indulgent, and selfish, but I couldn't resist. Rated M to be safe, because I'm not sure exactly where I'm gonna take it, plus, there's so much swearing.

 

 

 

Roxy slumped in her seat. Her class had just ended and she was exhausted. Not only that, but she was anxious too. Unemployment was never fun.

 

“Man, I don’t know what I’m gonna do.” She groaned aloud, suddenly leaning forward from her slouch and putting her head on her arm, which rested on the table in front of her.

 

Her friend, Kelsey looked at her with understanding and also impatience.

 

“Hey, you’ll find another gig! Just gotta get out there!”

 

“Yeah, but I hate job searching. I get so nervous!”

 

“Everyone hates it.” Kelsey chuckled as she crossed her arms, “And at least your job is ending so well. I mean, it’s not your fault that they’re moving. And you knew that was a possibility, them being a military family and all!”

 

“Yeah, but… I really liked working for them. Their kids are so great, I’m gonna miss them.” Roxy argued. She had worked for the last year and a half as a Nanny for a military family that had three young children; one boy and two twin girls.

 

Kelsey looked at her and snorted.

“For fuck’s sake, you complained about them constantly!”

 

“Well, I mean, just because I liked them doesn’t mean it was easy! Tommy was super headstrong… I swear he _enjoyed_ getting head-over-heels in trouble! But, when he wasn’t being the personification of chaos, he was super fun to be around, and I really did like talking to him and telling him stories.”

 

“I’m sure the next kids you take care of will be just as awesome! Hey! Maybe you could even get hired as a nanny for a monster family! I hear they pay pretty well! All that gold, you know?”

 

Roxy stared at her friend, “I...I don’t know… I mean, I’ve got nothing against monsters b-but, I barely function socially with _humans_.”

 

“Well, don’t knock it until you try it! I’ve met a couple of them, and they really seem just like humans! Maybe even nicer, if you ask me; I have never felt _uncomfortable_ around them, that’s for sure.” Kelsey replied easily, “That Bakery owned by the Fire-guy, -um, Grillby I think is his name- is really good! You oughtta try it! I know you’re a coffee girl, but seriously, his tea is absolutely amazing!!!”

 

“Hmm. I’ll think about it. Conversion to tea is unlikely though.” Roxy mumbled ironically into her cup of cold coffee, “I guess I’ll list myself back up on Share.com, and this time, I’ll… add monster families to my profile.”

 

“Yeah! You can do it!” Kelsey cheered, “And hey, if I hear anything, I’ll let you know. About jobs, I mean.”

 

“Thanks, Kelsey. I appreciate it!” Roxy smiled at her friend.

 

Kelsey really was great. She was tall and thin, the body type that Roxy had always envied ever since puberty had smacked her upside the head with a body type that she struggled with. 

Kelsey had long wavy hair that was dyed rose-gold and she had no trouble with looking irresistible, no matter what she wore. There was no doubt in Roxy’s mind that Kelsey was one of the most beautiful people she had ever met.

 

Even though the stocky girl struggled with how she felt about her looks, and how that was magnified when she sat next to Kelsey in class, Roxy treasured the friendship she had with her outgoing, fellow student. After all, she didn’t have a lot of friends. In fact, Kelsey was her _only_ friend at this point…  even though she really only spoke with Kelsey before or after the classes they shared.

 

Roxy smiled, a little bitterly, as she gathered her things, getting ready to get to her next class.

She herself was slightly below average height, with a heavier build, and no bosom to speak of, which drove her crazy. Why a larger, curvier build and tiny boobs?

Why?

It made no goddamn sense to her, but it _did_ allow for her to easily be more active, since she didn’t have anything on her chest to strap down.

As much as Roxy was trying to build up confidence in herself, she was still self-conscious about her looks and it didn’t take much to bring her down.

 

“Enough of that garbage thinking, Roxy. Let’s get going.” She murmured to herself, shouldering her backpack with forced determination.

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

The surface had welcomed Monster kind with mostly open arms. The monsters magic, their progression in science and the undeniable positive energy they brought with them had been had an overwhelming positive influence on world governments, and while it had taken a few years to work out the details of laws, identification services and other official matters, Monster kind was fully integrated into society.

 

Sure, there were hate crimes committed by a few, but thus far, no monster had been killed, neither had any humans died by a monster’s hand.

 

Queen Toriel was granted a pardon, for the deaths of the original 6 SOULs, as her people had been imprisoned unfairly and unjustly by humanity, as pointed out by Chara, who had stepped up into the position of ambassador with a passionate zeal and determination that was unrivaled.

 

Now, four years later, Chara was living a mostly normal life, in her last year of middle school. Her adopted father, Asgore, was studying to become a doctor, and was already making extraordinary medical strides with his healing magic. Chara was mostly happy with how life was going… but her friend, Temmie, whom she had convinced to come live with her on the surface, was not…

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

The house was quiet, and slightly musty smelling when Roxy came home. She sighed deeply, closing the door behind her, she slumped against the door, letting herself slump all the way to the ground in exhaustion. Thankfully, her evening class had let out early, and she grinned weakly. During the afternoon, having no class and no job, to attend to, Roxy had visited the library to get a head start on her homework and to use the library computer to relist herself as a nanny on Share.com.

 

Now, as she dragged herself into the house, she paused in surprise, as her phone dinged at her, letting her knows she had an email.

 

She swiped at the screen, to see whom the email was from.

 

Share.com message notification.

 

Roxy’s stomach flopped in astonishment, as she stared at her inbox on her phone. She had barely relisted herself up on Share.Com, and she already had a job offer.

 

Hesitantly, the nervous college student clicked the message. It was from a monster family. Not just any monster family, however.

 

 _Asgore Dreemurr_ had messaged her.

 

“Oh. My. God.” Roxy gaped.

 

The King of monster’s message went something like this;

 

_“Howdy Roxy! I saw your profile come up in my search, and I would like to talk to you about a job. Unfortunately, I have not found anyone who has proven to be reliable for the position I am offering. After speaking with your previous employer, I have come to the conclusion that you have the disposition and qualifications for what I have in mind. If you are interested, I am best reached at these hours._

_(5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.)_

_I look forward to hearing from you!_

_Sincerely,_

_Asgore Dreemurr._

 

Roxy chewed her lip nervously as she glanced at the clock. She was within contact hours; may as well get this over with.

Grabbing her phone, Roxy hurriedly dialed in the numbers and shakily held the phone to her ear as she grabbed a pen and paper, to write any important information down.

 

_“Howdy! This is Asgore Dreemurr.”_

 

“Hello, Mr. Dreemurr, this is Roxy, from Share.com.”

 

 _“Oh hello, Roxy! My goodness, that was quick!”_ Asgore’s voice was warm and friendly, and Roxy instantly relaxed, upon hearing his friendly tones.

 

“Yes, um, you too, sir. I was very surprised at how quickly you found me. But, I wanted to talk to you as soon as possible, as I am in school and my employers were recently relocated by the military. I need employment as soon as possible, and I am sure you are of a similar mindset in trying to find someone compatible with your situation as quickly as is convenient.”

 

_“I see. I am sorry to hear about your recent loss of employment, but it sounds as though it couldn’t be helped. I am willing to double your current hourly rate, as the job I have in mind is rather… difficult. The previous employees I have had did not last very long, and I am running out of options.”_

 

“I am sorry to hear that, but I am very interested! What is the situation?” Roxy asked attentively.

 

_“Well, my own children, Chara and Asriel, have no need of a nanny. They are very capable on their own, and besides that, they are both attending school together. However, Chara… has a friend that lives with us. This friend has no parents, or family. When we left the underground, Chara insisted that we adopt them and bring them with us. This has proven somewhat difficult, as this friend has done quite poorly in school and has needed to be homeschooled. In the past, I have had my own friends and family look after them, while Chara, Asriel and I are out, but unfortunately, this arrangement is no longer viable. I need someone to stay with this friend and care for them while Chara and Asriel are at school and I am at work.”_

 

“I see. Is this friend special needs?” Roxy asked,” It should be noted that, while my last job involved taking care of a child with severe ADHD, I have never provided care for a special needs child before.”

 

_“Oh, no, Temmie is, well, she requires help with moving around at times and getting food and going on outings, but she has no learning disabilities. She is just… a very difficult individual to interact with.” Asgore sighed. “All my previous attempts at hiring a caretaker have been thwarted, because people are so off-put by her poor attitude and her knack for pushing buttons, so to speak.”_

 

“I see.” Ah. That made sense. And right away, Roxy could see why Asgore thought she would be a good fit.

 

Tommy’s mother had had the very same difficulty in finding a nanny to care for him and his siblings. He had been extremely difficult to deal at times as well. The little guy had a mind for mischief and could be downright nasty at times. But Roxy had stuck to her guns, doing everything she could to understand him, to comfort him and make sure he had everything that he needed, and after a while, Tommy had softened towards her. He had been very upset, learning that he had to move, and Roxy promised to write to him and stay in contact.

 

Her heart ached, thinking about the kid, she really was going to miss him.

 

_“Roxy?”_

 

“Oh, I’m sorry, I zoned out! Um, my college classes are all in the early morning and later in the afternoon and evening, so I should be available during normal school hours. I am very interested in working for you, sir.”

 

_“Oh, just Asgore will do, dear. And I am pleased to hear your answer. Would you like to come for a trial run this Saturday, perhaps from 12:30 until 2? We can have lunch together and you can meet Chara and Temmie.“_

 

“Yes, that will work just fine, Si- I mean, Asgore. ” Roxy caught herself as she laughed nervously.

 

 _“Very well! I shall see you then. Oh! Silly me, you need my address!”_ Asgore laughed in embarrassment.

 

“That would be helpful.” Roxy laughed with him. After the address had been given, Roxy was quite surprised to find that Asgore lived very nearby- just down the street, in fact. That was a blessing!

 

“Have a good evening, Asgore! I look forward to meeting you and your family!” Roxy smiled as Asgore gave a friendly farewell.

 

“Wow, he sounds so nice… he must have been such a kind king.” Roxy mused as she returned to her homework, deciding to keep her profile open until the job was official.

 

This was going to be interesting, to say the least, and already, Roxy could feel butterflies shitting bricks in her stomach, which wasn’t anything new.


	2. The Weenis Incident

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Roxy goes on a grocery run and has a chance encounter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love how cathartic writing fanfiction is. ^_^

 

After her phone conversation with Asgore, Roxy poured herself into her studies, cracking open her textbooks and settling her notebooks in such a way that she could take notes as she read.

 

The semester had started just a few weeks ago and so far, her grades were good ( _make sure it stays that way, Roxy_ ). Squashing down her anxiety and working at storing away her learning material, Roxy narrowed her eyes and focused.

 

Today was a Thursday, which was a big relief for the college student. She had a day to prepare herself mentally for her impending interview on Saturday with Asgore Dreemurr and his family.

 

For now, she was focused on her world history homework, setting her jaw as she put her finger to the text.

 

An hour later, Roxy sat back, her mind numb with historic names, dates, events and  _exhaustion_.

 

She stood up from her seat, stretching and cracking her back with a grunt. 

_Could go for some bean juice._

 She thought with a yawn and ambled to her kitchen to brew some coffee, or as she fondly called it, 'liquid inspiration'.

To her absolute horror, there was none. She had run clean out and in typical airhead fashion, forgot to pick some up on her last grocery run.

 

“Nooooo!” Roxy almost sobbed, shifting from foot to foot like an addict deprived of their poison, launching into a debate with herself. Should she run to the grocery store? She  _did_  need more eggs and veggies too… but it was already dark, and the store would close very soon.

 

“Hmm, yeah, I could use a quick grocery run. I’ll be quick!” She decided, as she grabbed her jacket and shoved her wallet into her pocket.

The local grocery store was a ten-minute walk; five minutes if she jogged. So, jog she did.

 

In spite of her self-esteem issues, Roxy did take pride in her love of running. She didn’t care if she looked weird, big girl like her taking brisk, energetic strides, fists clenched and shoulders thrown back. She didn’t have as much time to run as she used to before she started college, so every opportunity she had to run, she seized with avarice.

 

Besides, it felt good to move after sitting still in the same position for so long. So she did, unashamed and determined.

 

As Roxy moved down the sidewalk quickly, she tried to ignore the fact that it was so late and already dark. The store would be  _very_  close to closing by the time she arrived, but she only needed those few items.

 

Confident that she would make it in time, Roxy put on a burst of speed, her eyes trained ahead. So when she was knocked off balance, it took her completely by surprise and elicited an ungraceful sound from her.

 

Her momentum sent her flying and she made some sort of bizarre honk of protest and pain as she hit the ground, skinning her elbow as she was unable to throw out her hands in time to catch herself. She sat up, blinking in pain as she grabbed her elbow, now bleeding.

 

“Why don’t ya watch where you’re going?”

She looked up from her red, raw elbow to the guy who shoved her. He was glaring at her with a nasty expression. Before she could stop herself, her mouth opened and words came pouring out.

 

“That was unkind! You were the one who shoved me!” Roxy snapped sternly. She almost clapped a hand to her mouth, forgetting that she  _wasn’t_  in a nanny job and this  _wasn’t_  a misbehaving child that she needed to correct. In fact, this was  _not_  a situation that she wanted to escalate.

 

Cursing herself for reacting the way she did, Roxy was about to apologize when he snarled, “You want a punch in the mouth, bitch?” advancing on her in a menacing stance.

 

Was… was this random guy actually threatening her? When HE had been the one to shove her? Subconsciously, Roxy started scooting away, fear creeping down her spine, still down on the ground as panic bloomed in her chest and her shoulder prickled with icy needles, her eyes fixated on the potential threat in front of her. She  _should have been_  assessing what she would need to do, if he tried to grab her or hit her, but her mind was blanking with terror and all she could do was keep scooting away...

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

The evening air was slightly cool, refreshing really, and Papyrus gave a hum of satisfaction as he walked alongside his brother Sans, who was talking to him in an animated way about his work day at the gym and the progress that one of his students was making in their self-defense training.

 

“That’s great bro, glad you’re making such a difference to your students.” papyrus absently replied, shifting a grin to his older, shorter brother.

 

“Mweh-heh-heh! No One Can Out-Teach The Magnificent Sans!” Sans chuckled, his eye-lights trained back on the street. On the opposite sidewalk, he noticed a human woman jogging, her face set in a stern look of focus. Nothing too out of the ordinary, except perhaps the time of day, but really, who was he to judge? Sometimes, you gotta go for a jog, even if it's in the middle of the night!

 

So Sans thought to himself when he noticed a human male stepped out from an alley, as the jogging lady passed by, and gave her a hard shove, deftly pulling something out from her back pocket as she fell. She went flying, ungracefully so, landing painfully. Sans winced at her impact, his broad smile becoming strained as Papyrus took notice, observing in disbelief, “Hey… did that guy take her  _wallet?_ ”

 

The man advanced in a threatening way on the woman, who seemed unaware that she had been robbed. Sans and Papyrus glanced at each other before nodding their agreement.

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Eyes trained on the threat in front of her, still sitting on her butt and scooting away in terror, Roxy was totally taken off guard when she actually backed  _into_  something solid, just as she observed the man’s face go from looking  _dow_ n at her to looking  _up_ , at something  _behind_ her, his expression melting into fear and trepidation.

 

“Hey, buddy, ya know, that’s not a very nice way to talk to a girl.” A calm, lazy and masculine voice filtered from behind her.

 

“Yeah! And Besides! We Saw  _You_  Push Her! For No Reason! You Also Took Her Wallet And You Need To Give It Back Immediately!” A different, authoritative voice rang out, deeply baritone and upbeat with tones of certainty and bluntness.

 

Roxy was hoisted gently to her feet, as the upbeat voice was speaking. She still couldn’t tear her eyes away from the man who had threatened her, who was sputtering in obvious fear and surprise. He actually turned to run, but he didn’t get far, his outline suddenly aglow with an aquamarine aura. His legs bicycled in the air, but he wasn’t going anywhere.

 

“Ey, buddy, buddy, we don’t want any trouble. Just give back what you took and we can all go our separate ways. Unless you wanna press charges, ma’am?” The lazy voice drawled in an oddly casual way.

 

With a shuddering breath, Roxy turned to see who was speaking to her and her pupils shrank at the person she had backed into.

 

Standing behind her were two  _enormous_  skeleton monsters. One of them was dressed in an orange hoodie and black cargo pants. He absolutely towered over her, his clothes loosely hanging off his skinny, lanky frame.

_He must be the one who picked me up._

The second only-slightly-shorter skeleton was dressed in a light gray shirt and navy blue Nike-brand sweatpants, a worn, sky-blue scarf tied around his neck. His left socket was glowing with brilliant cyan and yellow magical output, his left, skeletal hand outstretched in a grabbing motion.

 

_Is he… preventing that guy from running?_

“Ma’am? Are you ok?” The taller skeleton snapped his fingers in front of her face, grinning sheepishly, “We don’t bite, I promise. We just thought you could use a hand.”

 

“O-oh! I’m sorry! I just um, I’m a little rattled.” Roxy laughed awkwardly, her face suddenly pulling into horror at her choice of words as she stammered, “I’m sorry, that pun was unintended, I-“

 

But before she could continue to apologize, the tall skelly gave a pleased chuckle, putting a hand to his forehead.

 

“Papyrus! That’s Not Funny!” The shorter skeleton protested, “C’mon, This Is Serious!”

 

“Ok, ok, sorry, bro. Was just surprised is all.”

 

“I- did he really take my wallet?” Roxy checked her pocket for her wallet and sure enough, it was gone.

 

“N-no, I don’t want to press charges, j-just give me my wallet back, please.” She decided, sweating and trying to control her breathing. She had been so scared, and really wished she had just stayed at home…

 

“You sure, ma’am?” Papyrus drawled, “S’no trouble, I can call the police and talk to ‘em for you. We’ve got a friend on the force.”

 

“No, really, it’s ok. I really n-need to get to the store b-before it closes.” She looked back at the guy, taking in his appearance. He looked poor, dirty and ragged. He also looked mean, angry, and glared at them balefully and sullenly.

 

“Sans, put him down, but be ready, if he tries to bolt again, without giving back the wallet.” Papyrus decided.

 

“You Got It Bro!” Sans carefully placed the human back down, warning sternly, “I’m Going To Release You, But You Need To Return What You Stole, Human! Do The Right Thing!”

 

“Fine.” The thief grouched irritably, “’didn’t look like she had anything worth taking in there anyway.”

 

“Then why bother to begin with?” Roxy muttered glumly, but she took her wallet from him, swallowing, she took out a twenty dollar bill and held it out to him. “Please, don’t hurt any more people. There’s better ways to get what you need.”

 

He stared at her, obviously surprised and embarrassed.

“I don’t want your pity, stupid bitch.” He sneered at her before turning on his heel and leaving.

 

Roxy let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding.

 

A kind hand was placed on her shoulder and she looked up to see the shorter, thicker skeleton, who looked concerned, “Are You Alright, Miss? Oh No! You’re Bleeding!”

 

Roxy glanced at her elbow, registering the pain as she lifted it to inspect.

“Oh, I’m ok. Just a skinned weenis.”

 

….

 

_What did I just say? Why did I use **that**  word?!?_

 

Papyrus snorted in laughter, “What did I just hear?”

 

“Your-You What? I Thought You Were A Girl? Wait, Are You Actually A Boy?” Sans looked confused, a dusty blue spreading over his face, as he reluctantly seemed to look her over more closely, “Oh My God, I’m So Sorry I Assumed Your Gender, I Uh, Um-!”

 

Roxy grinned awkwardly, sweating even  _more_  as she babbled, “Oh, uh, no, I am definitely a girl! Last I checked anyways! Haha!”

_Kill me now_

_“_ Er, what I said was  _weenis_.  _Wee_ -nis. It’s the skin on my elbow.” She grabbed the skin on her good elbow and pinched it, laughing a little as sweat trickled down her cherry red face and down her back, “See? Weenis! That’s something all humans have! Heh, unless, they’re amputees, I guess…”

_Oh my god! For the love of all that’s unholy, please stop talking, Roxy!_

 

Papyrus was croaking, laughing so hard, he was bent over double. Sans still seemed uncomfortable, his smile now slightly awkward, his cheeks blue.

 

“Hey, um, thank you, both, for helping me out there. I was really, really scared. Petrified, actually.” Roxy swiftly changed the subject, genuinely feeling grateful for their interference as she added, “I… wasn’t really sure what I was going to do there, uh… say, what are your names?”

 

“Oh! My Name Is Sans! The Magnificent Sans! And This Is My Lazy Brother, Papyrus!”

 

“Ey.” Papyrus waved, still chuckling. “Nice ta meet’cha.”

 

“I’m Roxy Mcbridgette.” Roxy smiled. “It was really nice to meet you both, and again, thank you so much. I, uh, I haven’t really met any monsters since you guys came to the surface. N-not that I have a problem with monsters! I don’t! B-but you guys are the first that I’ve met… face to face that is.”

 

“How do you meet a monster otherwise?” Papyrus asked with a raised brow bone.

 

“Oh, actually, I, um, I work as a nanny, and just today, I was contacted by Mr. Asgore Dreemurr for a job!” Roxy replied excitedly,” So, you see, I did meet another monster before you guys, but it wasn’t face to face. It was… ear-to-ear?” She laughed, a little nervously.

 

“Wow. The old man is doing it huh?” Papyrus scratched his chin thoughtfully.

 

“Oh! Are You Going To Care For Temmie?” Sans asked in excitement, “Wowzers! That Means We’ll Be Seeing More Of You!”

 

“Oh, are you friends with Mr. Dreemurr?” Roxy asked in surprise. Wow, small world…

 

“You could say that.” Papyrus drawled, “Well, it would be remiss of us if we didn’t walk you home. I don’t think you want to share any more similarities with coffee.”

 

“Coffee?” Roxy questioned in confusion.

 

“Yeah, cause, you know, you nearly got  _mugged.”_

….

 

Roxy snorted with laughter once the joke registered in her brain while Sans groaned, “Oh My God, Pap, WHYYYYY????”

 

“Oh, I’m heading to the grocery store right now. I have… no time to get what I needed.” Roxy had glanced at her phone, seeing with dismay, that even if she ran as fast as she could, she wouldn’t get there in time.

 

“Ey, no problemo. I know a shortcut.” Papyrus grinned with a lazy wink as he held out his hand to her, Sans offering his hand as well with an excited grin.

 

Roxy felt confused, but she accepted their offered hands, marveling inwardly at the feel of their bones, warm and firm, yet soft.

 

And suddenly, they were in front of the grocery store. Roxy blinked, unsure of what the heck had just happened.

 

“Sans, I’m gonna stay out here for a smoke. Wanna help her get her groceries? You guys only have like, 5 minutes.” Papyrus queried as he let go of her hand and pulled out a box of cigarettes from the pocket of his hoodie, leaning against the store casually. Roxy couldn’t get over how tall Papyrus was.

 

 _He must be over six and a half feet tall…. Heck he might even be 7 feet tall._  She thought to herself in dizzy awe. Sans was probably between six and six and a half feet tall himself, plus, he was broader, with a much thicker frame then Papyrus. Roxy got the feeling he was the more athletic of the two, with his build and attitude.

 

“Absolutely!” Sans looked down at Roxy, almost shyly, “I Mean, If That Is Ok With You?”

 

“Sure!” Roxy smiled up at him. For such a big guy, he seemed so sweet and cute; like the biggest teddy bear in the whole world!

 

The two rushed in, Sans keeping up with Roxy’s hurried movements with no problem. He was the exact opposite of his brother, it seemed, and whereas Papyrus gave off a lazy, laidback vibe, Sans was all energy and alertness.

 

“Let’s see, I need coffee, a dozen eggs, and some zucchini and spinach. That’s it.”

 

“I Can Get Your Eggs And Veggies! I Am VERY Good At Picking Out Produce!” Sans promised.

 

“That sounds great, I’ll meet you at the checkout!” Roxy replied, racing to the coffee isle.

 

She grabbed her favorite (a dark Sumatra roast) and hurried to the front of the store. Sans was already there, eggs in one enormous hand and the bags of veggies in the other.

 

“Thanks so much, Sans! Those look great!” Roxy looked up at him, noticing with fascination that his pupils had turned into stars. She inwardly marveled, that was so cute! Was it magic?

And speaking of which…

“Seriously, though, um, how did we get here so fast? What did Papyrus do?” she asked, snapping out of her staring.

 

Sans laughed nervously as he looked off to the side, walking with her to stand in line, “Well, I Mean, It's Part Of His Magic. Mine Too, But I Don’t Like Taking Shortcuts. I Prefer Running If I Need To Get Somewhere Quick! HOWEVER! I Made An Exception In This Case, Because It Was An Emergency!”

 

“Oh. That’s really cool. Convenient too.” Roxy looked a little jealous, smiling as she added, "Thank you. Ya'll really didn't need to go to the trouble-"

 

"It Was No Trouble At All!" Sans promised, adding, "It's Always Nice To Make A New Friend!" 

 

That sent a blush straight into the human woman's cheeks, and she looked away, trying to hide her red face with her hair as she murmured in agreement," Yeah, it is."

 

Sans waited patiently by the front of the store as she checked out her stuff, just as the store reached its closing time and Roxy sighed in relief. Sans rushed over to help her with her bags and grinned, “Mission Accomplished!”

 

“Aye, sir!” Roxy chuckled, “Again, thank you so much!”

 

“You’re Very Welcome!” Sans grinned as they exited the store and looked for Papyrus.

 

Papyrus looked like he had fallen asleep, leaning against the store, orange-tinted drool running out of his mouth, soaking his cigarette, and Sans sighed in concern as he looked at his brother with a perplexed expression.

 

Roxy stared at the taller skeleton, how the heck was he sleeping standing up? And… also, how was he drooling?

 

“Papyrus! Wake Up, Lazybones!” Sans called out.

 

“Zzz-Snrk! Oh, hey you guys.” Papyrus yawned, wiping the drool in an unconcerned fashion, “Done already?”

 

Sans looked down at the tiny human standing next to him. He was holding her bags and felt reluctant to give them back to her.

 

“Do You Live Far?” He asked in concern.

 

“It’s a ten minute walk.” Roxy admitted, “But I don’t mind! I felt that I needed the exercise.”

 

“Hmm, I’d offer you a shortcut, but I don’t know where you live. So, if you’re ok with it, Sans and I can still walk you home.” Papyrus looked  _really_  tired, and Roxy wondered if it was because of his magic. Maybe it was like how she felt after a really long run, or an intense workout?

 

“Papyrus, Why Don’t You Go Home. I’ll Walk Our New Friend To Her House! Besides, Chara Will Be Worried If One Of Us Doesn’t Get Back Soon!” Sans offered with a confident smile, taking notice of how exhausted his brother looked.

 

“You sure, bro?” Papyrus looked at his brother, but he was blinking sleepily.

 

“I Am Positive! If, Um, If That Is Ok With You, Huma- Er, Roxy?”

 

Roxy looked up at Sans and decided that she didn’t want to walk home alone. Not after what happened. Besides… she liked Sans. He was kind and fun to talk to. Spending more time with him sounded great! And besides… Roxy didn’t feel inspired about the idea of walking home alone after what had just happened.

 

“That works for me. If it’s not too much trouble?” Roxy smiled apologetically.

 

Papyrus yawned vociferously as he nodded, “Alrighty. Not gonna lie, I’m, heh,  _bone_ -tired. ‘Feel like I could sleep like the  _dead._ ”

 

Roxy choked back a laugh as Sans yelped in exasperation, “OH MY GOD, PAPYRUS!  _GO_ ALREADY!”

 

“Nyeh, heh, sorry bro, I’m only  _ribbing_  you.”

 

Papyrus winked playfully as he suddenly vanished. Roxy would have felt unsettled by the skeleton’s sudden disappearance, but Sans immediately turned to her, smiling sheepishly, “Sorry About His Awful Jokes. Shall We?”

 

They got to walking, both quiet at first as the night air settled around them. The streets were quiet, with the occasional car driving past.

 

Roxy finally broke the silence, twisting her hands nervously, “Seriously, Sans, I can’t thank you and your brother enough for saving me. I’ve gone out late like this a million times, but I’ve never been attacked before. I totally froze up.”

 

“It Was No Trouble, Roxy! Papyrus And I Both Saw You Running From The Other Side Of The Street. And That Human Was Absolutely In The Wrong! We Couldn’t Stand By While You Were Not Only Hurt But Robbed As Well! Not Even Papyrus, Who Has Made Laziness An Art, Was Ok With Just Standing By.”

 

“The two of you really know the family I’m going to be working for?” Roxy questioned in surprise, her eyes going wide.

 

“Oh Yes! Papyrus Is Great Friends With King Asgore, And Chara Is Our Friend Who Freed Everyone From The Underground.” Sans confirmed.

 

“Oh wow!” Roxy’s eyes bugged, “That is amazing! What a small world! I, uh, I actually can’t believe that Mr. Asgore actually called me. I’m… well, I’m nothing special.”

 

Sans looked down at Roxy in surprise, “Don’t Say That About Yourself! There’s Something Special About Everyone! And Besides, You Were So Much Nicer To the Human Who Hurt You Then You Needed To Be. You Even Offered Some Of Your Money To Him, After He Tried to Take It From You.”

 

“J-just because I was nice doesn’t make me special, and besides… I did feel sorry for him. After all… Sometimes, people do things like that out of desperation. The fact that he didn’t take my money when I offered it makes me think that perhaps he isn’t so bad. He must have felt bad for trying to take my wallet.”

 

Sans looked down at Roxy with a soft smile, pleasantly surprised at her optimism. Normally, he was the one looking on the bright side. She was looking down at the sidewalk, her cheeks slightly red, reminiscent of a cherry.

 

_She’s cute!_

He blushed at the thought, looking up towards the sky hurriedly as he pushed the thought away resolutely. The stars were out tonight, and not even the slight atmospheric smog would completely block them out.

 

He sighed with contentment and admiration, “The Stars Are So Beautiful. I Don’t Think I’ll Ever Get Tired Of Seeing Them Like This.”

 

Roxy looked up in surprise.  _That’s right… Sans grew up underground. How strange must it be to finally live on the surface?_

 

“I’m so glad you guys aren’t in the Underground anymore. I can’t imagine how that must have been.” Roxy admitted, hardly noticing the faint blue dusting on his cheekbones as he nodded in agreement.

 

“I’m Glad To Be Here As Well! Although I Had To Find Something Else To Do With Myself, Since My Whole Life I Dreamed Of Joining The Royal Guard, Which Doesn’t Exist Anymore.” Sans replied, slightly ruefully.

 

“Oh, that’s cool! You worked for Queen Toriel?”

 

“W-Well, Not Exactly.”

 

They were standing in front of Roxy’s house now, and Roxy smiled, “Thanks so much for walking me home, Sans. That means a lot to me. I wish we could talk more.”

 

She shuffled, reaching for the bags, which Sans handed over gently.

“Um, if I give you my number, will you text me when you get home, so I know you’re ok? And, uh, maybe we can stay in touch?” Roxy said in a rush, her confidence sputtering. What if she was overstepping?

 

“Oh, Sure! I Would Be Very Happy To Get To Know You Better! Here Is My Phone!” Sans reached into his pocket, pulling out a cellular device, he held it so that Roxy could tap her number into it, recording her name.

 

She smiled up at him feeling an overwhelming sense of relief at his acceptance, “Thanks again. I look forward to seeing you and Papyrus around... if I get the job, that is.”

 

“Me Too! Sleep Well, Roxy!”

 

Roxy went into her house, leaning against the door as she closed it behind her, she frowned as her heart pumped hard. What an evening! Holy heck, her life was usually so mundane! So boring and dreary and... Not exciting like this! She had been mugged and then rescued by two kind-hearted individuals- monsters no less! 

 

She sighed, relieved to be in the comfort of her own home as she took her groceries to the kitchen, putting away the eggs and veggies before gleefully brewing her beloved coffee.

 

Time to get back to studying! Tomorrow was Friday after all; no school and no work either.

 

She paused, as she thought about her new friends. She didn’t have Papyrus’ number, but planned to ask for it. Both of the skeleton brothers seemed so nice and cool too! Roxy didn’t have a lot of friends, but she wanted to get to know Papyrus and Sans more.

 

“I can’t believe I was almost mugged,“ She murmured in disbelief to herself, looking at the bag of coffee in her hand, she remembered Papyrus’ joke and chuckled, “Heh, mugged…”

 

At that moment, there was a  _ding_! from her phone.

 

It was an unknown number, but Roxy checked the text anyway.

 

_(xxx-xxxx): HELLO! IT IS I, THE MAGNIFICENT SANS! I HAVE ARRIVED HOME! IT TURNS OUT THAT I LIVE JUST DOWN THE STREET FROM YOU! SO IT DIDN’T TAKE LONG FOR ME TO GET HOME AT ALL!_

 

Roxy smiled as she added his number into her phone, pausing before putting in his name as BlueBoy.

 

_“ **I’m glad Sans. Also, how weird is it that we’ve lived on the same street and haven’t seen each other? Although, I’m hardly ever home, so maybe not so strange?**_

 

(BlueBoy):  _MAYBE NOT, AS I AM OFTEN NOT HOME EITHER. BUT, I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AGAIN! YOU SEEM LIKE A REALLY NICE PERSON!_

 

_“ **You too, Sans.”**_

 

(BlueBoy):  _UM, IF YOU’RE NOT BUSY, I CAN TELL YOU ABOUT MY JOB UNDERGROUND? YOU HAD ASKED IF I WORKED FOR QUEEN TORIEL, AND I WASN’T ABLE TO TELL YOU, SINCE WE HAD ARRIVED AT YOUR HOUSE._

 

_“ **Sure. Although I’m gonna have to start studying, so my replies may be slow.”**_

 

(BlueBoy):  _OH THAT’S OK. I CAN TEXT YOU SOME OTHER TIME, IF YOU WISH, I DON’T WANT TO DISTRACT YOU._

 

**_“It’s no trouble. I can multitask. And I really am curious!”_ **

 

So, as Roxy fixed her brew and got comfy with her textbooks, she periodically checked her phone.

 

Sans had been working as a sentry, in his hometown of Snowdin. His boss was Alphys, the captain of the royal guard, and she had personally worked to train him, to prepare him for the royal guard. However, before his training could be completed, the human, Chara, had fallen down, and had found a way to break the barrier.

 

The royal guard was consequently disbanded, and Sans joined Alphys in working at a local gym/dojo, where they had continued training as warriors, as well as training other humans and monsters in self-defense. Alphys had recently joined the police department, so now worked part time at the dojo when she could spare the time.

 

 ** _“That’s so cool! I’ve always wanted to learn self-defense, but, I’ve never had the courage for it.”_**  Roxy admitted, as she replied to his long block of story text.

 

(BlueBoy):  _OH, YOU SHOULD COME BY SOMETIME! ALPHYS AND I COULD TRAIN YOU!_

 

“I’d like that,” Roxy admitted out loud, smiling to herself as she texted,  ** _“I don’t think I’ll have time in the very near future, but when I do find the time, I’ll definitely have to check it out.”_**

 

Sans didn’t reply right away and Roxy cringed inwardly, hoping she hadn’t hurt his feelings. However, a few minutes later, her phone screen lit up, with him apologizing.

 

(BlueBoy):  _SORRY ABOUT THAT. I HAD TO GO WAKE UP PAPYRUS TO EAT DINNER._

 

**_“Oh, no trouble, Sans. Hey… do you like jogging?”_ **

 

(BlueBoy):  _I DO!_

 

**_“My schedule has been dictating that I run at night, so, often times, I do. If you’re ok with it, maybe we can go jogging together sometime, in the evening? It’d be great to have someone to run with. I’m really shaken over what happened tonight, I think my heart’s still palpitating, heh.”_ **

 

(BlueBoy):  _THAT WOULD BE AWESOME! I WOULD LOVE TO JOIN YOU IN THE EVENINGS TO JOG!_

 

Roxy blushed a little at his enthusiasm and laughed a little to herself as she turned her attention back to her books.

 

It was getting late by this time, and Sans texted:  _I’M GETTING READY FOR BED. I HOPE YOUR STUDIES GO WELL, ROXY!_

 

**_“Thanks Sans! Thanks for keeping me company, and also, for saving me. Goodnight!”_ **

 

(BlueBoy):  _YOU ARE MOST WELCOME!_   _GOOD NIGHT!_

 

Roxy didn’t know why… but she felt giddy.

 

She laughed a little, feeling a weird anxiety and happiness that bubbled inside her stomach. Were all monsters as nice as Sans was?

 

“Hmm… I ought’ta give that café that Kelsey recommended a try.” She smiled to herself, already making plans for her Friday, which up to that point had been wide open. She was gonna try something new for once.

 

Roxy blew out her breath as she prepared to buckle down on her studying. At that moment, her phone dinged and she frowned as she checked it.

 

She had a text from Kelsey.

 

(QTPi): Hey, Rox, how are ya? I’m freaking struggling with this bullshit math.

 

Roxy giggled a little.

 

**_Me too. I’m alright… Uh, I almost got mugged tonight._ **

****

(QTPi): WHAT?! Are you ok? OMG WHAT HAPPENED?

 

**_Well, I went to the grocery store, cause I was out of coffee, and some guy just pushed me. But, uh, these two monsters kinda came out of nowhere, to my rescue. They saw the guy take my wallet when he pushed me and made him give it back. Then, they walked me to the store and then to my house._ **

****

(QTPi): … What the actual hell? Wow. That’s… freaking random… was one of them a guy? ;)

 

Roxy blushed. Oh great. Kelsey was already trying to play matchmaker.

 

**_They are both guys. Brothers._ **

****

(QTPi):Ooh-la-la!

 

Roxy snorted, giving a half laugh.

 

**_C’mon, Kelsey, it’s not like that!_ **

****

(QTPi): But they SAVED you! It could totally be like that!

 

Roxy frowned. She looked down at her notes and shook her head.

 

**_I’m not even ready for anything like that with a human. And I’ve never even thought about dating a monster. And besides, they were just being good people. I’d be lucky just to become better friends with them._ **

****

(QTPi): Dude, you have got to stop putting yourself down. I know you were raised all weird and shit, but seriously, you need to move past that.

 

Roxy gave a bitter laugh at that and replied,  ** _It’s easier said than done… but I’m trying. Did you wanna do math together?_**

****

(QTPi): Aw, man, I’m way more interested in hearing about your heroes!

 

**_Let’s get to work, kels._ **

****

(QTPi):Fine :p you’re no fun

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Sans seemed awfully distracted.

 

Papyrus observed his brother from the corner of his socket, noticing how often Sans seemed to be staring into space as he washed the same dish for far longer then necessary.

 

“I think that ones’ clean by now, bro?” Papyrus spoke casually, shortcutting right next to his brother, who yelped and dropped the dish he’d been washing.

 

Papyrus caught it, smirking a little as Sans whirled on him, “DON’T DO THAT, PAPYRUS! I WOULD HAVE JUMPED OUT OF MY SKIN!... IF I HAD ANY!” He added as an afterthought.

 

Papyrus chuckled at Sans’ unintentional joke, “Sorry, bro, but you were spacing out, hardcore. I asked you a couple of questions, and you kept sayin’ ‘uh-huh’, even after I told you that tacos are the worst food and need a good smothering with honey to make them edible.”

 

“I- WHAT?! HOW DARE YOU??” Sans blinked in surprise,” I DIDN’T HEAR YOU... SAY ANY OF THAT…”

 

“I know. Everything ok?” Papyrus asked in concern, putting a hand on his brother’s shoulder.

 

“OH YES! I JUST FINISHED TEXTING WITH THE HUMAN, AND… UH… I WAS JUST THINKING ABOUT UM, MY TALK WITH HER.”

Sans was blushing.

 

Papyrus grinned a little, “She seems really nice.” He scowled slightly as he added with squinting sockets,” Too nice to handle Temmie though. I bet you anything she’ll probably give up after ten minutes of knowing that little snot.”

 

“I DON’T THINK SO, PAP! REMEMBER HOW NICE SHE WAS TO THE GUY WHO TRIED TO ROB HER?”

 

“Hmm, yeah, you do have a point there. But if she’s a  _pushover_ , that won’t be good either. Temmie is  _literally_  the devil and will do what ever it takes to get a rise out of whoever happens to be closest. She'll tear Roxy to little, crying shreds.” Papyrus snorted, “Honestly, I don’t know why the kid wants that creature around! But, it’s none of my business. I really don’t think Roxy is the person for the job tho’.”

 

Sans snorted loudly, “I DON’T THINK SHE’LL BE EITHER ONE OF THOSE THINGS! I BELIEVE IN HER!”

 

“Sans, no offense, but you believe in everyone.” Papyrus grinned dryly,” just don’t get your hopes up if she ends up _falling flat_ of your expectations.”

 Sans opened his mouth, stopped as he realized Papyrus had punned at him and huffed, turning away.

Papyrus frowned as his older brother went back to washing dishes, looking uncharacteristically moody and Papyrus helped him out, adding in a low, concerned tone, “I just don’t want you to get hurt again, bro.”

 

“i know.” Sans muttered, his voice dropping near silent, his pupils drained of color and turning into white, sad dots in his sockets, his words shifting to lowercase, “it’s not like that, pap. not this time.” A little more brightly, his pupils regaining their blue hue, he smiled brightly, “I Just Want To Be A Good, Platonic Friend!”

 

“If you say so, Sans.” Papyrus gave a half smile as the two continued washing dishes together.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for making it this far! :) I hope you have a good day, reader!


	3. Interludes of Nightmares and Hot Chocolate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Intro of Chara and Temmie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for violent nightmares/flashbacks. Also, uh, I'm spitballing, as far as how the Dreemurr family works. I'm open to constructive criticism. One more thing, (maybe I should have mentioned) but for this story, I interpret Chara as a girl and Frisk as a boy and Temmie as a girl. Please don't kill me. ._.,

_“Don’t you understand?”_

_Pain, shattering her senses, blood, running out her mouth, Chara gasped as she choked on her own vomit and life-force as a cackling laugh filled her ears._

_“In this world, IT’S KILL OR BE KILLED!”_

_Blackness._

_The Void._

_Creatures of unknown origins were moving, slithering against her, a distorted noise that hurt her ears. She opened her mouth to scream, but it was like… like she was feeding the void with her terror. A melted figure, cloaked and hooded, grinned maniacally at her, sharp, pointed teeth without a face and whispered words she couldn’t hear. The void was_ swallowing _her, devouring her, leaking inside every orifice and she clutched at her chest as she tried,_ tried, TRIED TO TAKE A BREATH-

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~

 

“Chara! Wake up!” a firm slap to her face with a soft paw had Chara gasping awake, jolting up and sending her friend, Temmie, flying to the floor with a squeak. Chara gasped, sucking in sweet, sweet air, sweating profusely, her hands shakily clasped in her hair as she breathed, coming to her senses.

 

“Chara? What the hell’s the matter with you?” Tem’s grumble reached Chara’s ears and the soulless doll “blinked” next to her in her bed, looking at her with searching eyes, “Same nightmare?”

 

“Y-yeah.” Chara glanced across the room, at her adopted sibling, Asriel, who snored softly, undisturbed. What a heavy sleeper.

 

“Worse this time?” Temmie asked after a moment of silence.

 

“Yeah.”

 

Temmie huffed as she made herself comfortable on the bed next to Chara, “I swear, you’re… just as bad as I was. Big honking crybaby.”

 

“Heh, you sure know how to comfort a tortured soul, Temmie.” Chara muttered sarcastically, petting the doll’s hair affectionately, leaning back down on her pillow, she murmured,” It’s the same every time. All those times that I died… it hurt so much. And I always ended up in that… that weird place.”

 

Temmie looked up, her eyes shrewd, as she muttered, “It’s not gonna do you any good to keep thinking about it. Gotta move forward, Chara.”

 

Chara sighed in agreement, her expression tight,” I don’t think I’m gonna sleep.”

 

Temmie barked a laugh, “Again? You’re getting to be just as bad as Grinning Garbage Pail with how many times your teachers report you for falling asleep in class.”

 

“I wish you’d stop calling Papyrus that. I know the two of you have a bad history, but we’re trying to move forward here.” Chara muttered, avoiding the accusation.

 

“That’s what you think. I’ll always hate that guy.” Temmie swore viciously.

 

Chara gave up on the idea of sleep as she sat up and swung her legs out of bed, “Want some hot-chocolate, Tem?”

 

…

 

“Ok.” Temmie reluctantly agreed.

 

Chara scooped up the doll in her arms and carried her downstairs.

 

“So… you’re gonna have a new nanny to chase off this Saturday, huh? It’s a shame, dad sounded so enthusiastic about this one. Apparently, she has a way with ‘troubled’ kids.” Chara murmured, using her hands as air quotes as she started boiling some water, shooting Temmie a pointed grin, “You’re gonna have to drop that façade sooner or later, you know.”

 

“You wish. Maybe this time, he’ll take the hint and just homeschool the both of us.” Temmie muttered resentfully.

 

“Tem… you know I can’t do that. I wish you could learn to control your temper.”

 

Temmie’s eyes flashed as she growled, “No, I wish YOU would learn that sometimes, you _have_ to FIGHT. You can’t dodge forever!”

 

Chara’s eyes narrowed. “Temmie, drop it. I appreciate that you stood up for me, but violence is not going to help our cause.”

 

Temmie stared straight through Chara before withering under Chara’s stern, red glare, mumbling, “Can you put some cinnamon in my chocolate?”

 

“Sure, dude.” Chara’s expression softened to regret, “I’m sorry I couldn’t do the same for you.”

 

Temmie shrugged, “Look, once I get rid of this next nanny, I’ll ask if I can be put into the same high school as you. That was the whole problem to begin with.”

 

Chara chuckled quietly, “You’d be in different classes, you know?”

 

“Yeah, yeah, do I look like I care? Someone’s gotta keep an eye on you, and it looks like I’m the one who has to pick up the slack.”

 

“Well… try not to be so horrible this time, ok? That last lady was _traumatized.”_

 

“Not my fault she ended up being a closet religious nut who couldn’t handle a few magical pranks.” Temmie grinned, baring her fangs as Chara poured the boiling water into two mugs and poured a scoop of hot chocolate mix into both.

 

She sprinkled a little cinnamon in Temmie's drink before mixing both drinks with one spoon.

 

“Thanks for listening, Temmie.” Chara murmured.

 

Tem shrugged, but her face softened. “Whatever, idiot.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Thanks for making it this far! I hope you lovely people have a good day!


	4. A Chat Over Breakfast Tacos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A peek into the morning routine of the Skelebros

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like to imagine that US!Sans would watch a lot of cooking shows and youtube videos on the surface. ^_^  
> Also, I'm starting to realize that my chapters are... on the longer side, so I'm trying to break them up a bit.
> 
> Enjoy!

 

It was 5 in the morning when Papyrus began to feel the beginnings of consciousness. He snorted in his sleep, trying to cling to sweet oblivion, but his nasal cavity took in a breath of something cooking from the kitchen. Something that smelled _delicious._

As the tasty smell wafting from downstairs dragged him into reality, he both cursed and blessed Sans; the former for being an early riser, the latter for his vast improvement in cooking since coming to the surface.

 

 

The day Sans had learned about _breakfast_ tacos had been an absolute game changer for himself and his friends and family. Papyrus had counted himself lucky to have Sans as a brother to _begin_ with, but he had to admit, waking up these days (especially at _this_ ungodly hour) was easier with the prospect of sitting down to a steaming plate of Sans’ delicious, homemade breakfast tacos. Papyrus grumbled as he continued to battle for sleep, grabbing his pillow and shoving it over his head

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Sans wasn’t sure when it had started exactly, but like clockwork, he would wake up early to make tacos in the morning, Alphys and Undyne would swing by to grab one or two before they both headed to work and Papyrus would wake up, _without Sans’ presence,_ and come downstairs for a taco and a mug of coffee.

Each of the monster friends would have a scheduled turn to walk Chara and Asriel (most days, when he wasn't on visitation with Toriel) to school after breakfast, and today happened to be Sans' day, which was why he had woken extra early, as he always took the two to Grillby's teashop for an end-of-the week breakfast treat.

Sans eagerly stirred the ingredients in the pan, taking a deep breath. He was trying a new recipe today; chorizo and egg. It already looked so good and he was excited for Alphys to try one, as she enjoyed spicier foods.

Within an hour of getting started, he had eight tacos, fresh and ready to be devoured.

Sans took a breath of satisfaction as he surveyed his work. The coffee had just finished brewing and Sans grinned, knowing that would be the final straw to get his brother out of bed.

 Taking a sip of his tea, he chuckled to himself, turning a little blue as he remembered the day he had accidentally taken a drink of coffee.

It had _only been a sip. And yet,_ even that little bit of caffeine had sent him into a cleaning _frenzy_ that lasted a solid 48 hours, followed by a crash that resulted in him actually _napping._

_**During the day.**_

 

 _Never Again_. He thought to himself firmly as he heard the familiar sounds of Papyrus rolling out of bed and clomping down the stairs groggily.

 

The door opened with a thud and Alphys strode in, also groggy, Undyne yawning behind her.

_5:30 A.M. Right On Time._ Sans chuckled to himself, pleased with his timing.

  
“Good morning, punks.” Alphys grumbled, sleep-subdued as she grabbed a taco from the plate on the table, munching away, her eye brightening slightly as she swallowed.

 

“Oh wow! Sans, what it this? Something new?”

 

“Yup! It’s Called Chorizo!” Sans grinned. “I Saw It Being Cooked On That MeTube Channel, ‘Delicious’, and I thought I'd give it a try!”

 

“Fucking delectable is what this is! Oh my god!” Alphys grinned with her sharp-toothed smile as she took another giant bite.

 

“G-good morning, P-Papyrus, Sans.” Undyne murmured, looking more tired then usual as she sat next to Alphys and stifled a yawn.

 

“Heya, ‘Ndyne.” Papyrus greeted with a muffled grumble, “How’s stuff at the lab?”

 

“Oh m-man, Pap, I w-wish you’d change your mind about w-working with me. I c-could use a monster’s help.” Undyne admitted, adding with some measure of disgust, “S-sometimes the human scientists are c-condescending.”

 

“Heh, that’s not surprising.” Papyrus muttered, “But I’ll hafta pass.”

 

“You guys think YOU have it bad.” Alphys muttered, “ Human civilians have a hard time taking me seriously, and I’m a fucking cop!”

 

“C’mon, Guys, Let’s Not Be So Gloomy! It’s A Beautiful Morning Outside!” Sans piped up, pouring three mugs of coffee for his brother and friends and passing them out quickly.

 

“Oh, my precious nerd, bless your soul.” Alphys grinned gratefully as she took the offered cup of coffee.

 

“C-careful, d-don’t inhale the caffeine fumes, Sans.” Undyne grinned teasingly.

 

Papyrus snorted and Alphys groaned, “Oh my god, may you never, EVER go through a caffeine high _ever_ again! I couldn’t even _begin_ to catch up with you, while you were manically rushing around, cleaning everything in sight!”

 

Sans chuckled good-naturedly, “Not My Fault I’m Naturally Energetic!”

 

“Sure scared th-the human neighbors.” Undyne recalled. "It t-took a lot of c-convincing to get them to calm down!"

 

“Heck yeah it did. I think we've grown on them since then. Some humans are ok… but most of them suck.” Alphys grumbled. "Thank god the Dogs are doing so well with the k9 unit, otherwise, I don't think the humans would be so happy with us being part of the law enforcement."

 

“Heh, well, how can the humans help it? I mean, look at how they treat each other! Just last night, some human guy tried to rob a human girl, right in front of us.” Papyrus yawned, mentioning the incident casually.

 

That got Alphys’ attention and she roared, “WHAT? HNYA! WHY DIDN’T YOU CALL ME?!”

 

Sans replied, “We Offered To Call You For The Human Girl, Whose Name Is Roxy! But She Didn’t Want To Press Charges! She Even Offered Some Of Her Money To The Human That Tried To Rob Her! We, Uh, We Ended UP Walking Her Home Instead.”

 

“YOU walked her home, bro.” Papyrus chuckled. “AND got her number.”

 

Alphys cocked her head with a predatory grin, “Oh yeah? Real smooth move, Sans! When do we get to meet her?”

 

Sans sweated and blushed, putting up his hands as he protested, “Don’t Look At Me Like That! I Was Just Concerned Because She Was Hurt! She had Skinned Her Weenis-ELBOW! I MEANT ELBOW.” Sans yelped, covering his mouth with a blue blush, but Alphys blinked at him before howling with laughter.

 

“IS THAT ACTUALLY A WORD?! _WEENIS_?! Don’t you mean peni-“

 

“I-it’s a real term. It’s the skin on the outside of the elbow.” Undyne explained quickly, interjecting before Alphys could finish her sentence.

 

Papyrus had his head down in the crook of his elbow, stifling his laughter as Sans blushed dark blue, avoiding eye contact with _anyone_.

 

“Stars Help Me.” He muttered as Alphys grinned, “Skinned _weenis_ huh? How’d you hear _that_ word? It’s gold!”

 

“Oh, she was the one that called it… that.” Sans replied, still blushing.

 

“Man, I’d love to grill you some more about your new _girlfriend_ , but I have to go.” Alphys chuckled regretfully as she stood up. "This isn't over, Sans, I want ALL the details later!"

 

Sans's blush deepened and he gaped a bit before protesting,"She's not my girlfriend!"

 

But Alphys ignored Sans as she kissed Undyne, promising, “We’ll catch up on that anime tonight, babe, I promise!”

 

“B-bye Al!” Undyne giggled with a blush and a dreamy expression as she sighed, taking a long swig of her coffee, she turned to Papyrus and Sans, “I gotta get g-going too. Papyrus, if you ch-change your mind about a job let me know.”

 

“Don’t you mean... let ‘minnow’?” Papyrus cackled with finger guns.

 

Sans groaned into his hands as Undyne snorted, “Oh god, Papyrus, it's too early for fish puns!”

 

"I dunno, I think they make quite a  _splash."_

 

Undyne snorted as she got up to leave, adding with a soft smile to Sans, “Th-the tacos w-were delicious, Sans!”

 

“Thank You! Have A Good Day, Undyne! Remember To Believe In Yourself!” Sans called with a grin, feeling overwhelmingly proud of the tall fish-woman. She had come a long way from her depressed state, after the barrier had broken.

Now, with the house empty and the time reading 6:15 am, Sans turned to the messy kitchen with a stern glare. He hadn't quite managed the art of cleaning up as he cooked, so he quickly got to work to clean the dishes and wipe the surfaces, putting away the food as he did so, moving at a quick pace.

 

Papyrus had disappeared briefly before popping back into existence, dressed for work.

 

“Your day to take Chara and Asriel to School?” Papyrus queried, even though he knew the answer to that already.

 

“Yup! I’m gonna take them by Grillby’s, so I gotta get going!” Sans grinned as he put away his apron and quickly gathered his things.

 

“Sans, they live across the street!” Papyrus chuckled teasingly.

 

“So? It’s a long walk to Grillby’s!” Sans replied.

 

“You know, I could give ya’ll a –“

 

“NO SHORTCUTS!” Sans replied decisively.

 

“You were ok with it yesterday!”

 

“Th-that was an emergency!” Sans protested, “Roxy Needed The Help!”

 

“And Chara and Asriel don’t?” Papyrus raised a brow, "Don't  _kid_ around with me, bro."

 

“I-" Sans expression became outraged, "PAP ENOUGH WITH THE PUNS! Besides, We'll Have Plenty Of Time To Walk To Grillby’s And Then To Their School.” Sans replied with a bright-eyed scowl. “They Both Can Use The Exercise!”

 

“Alright, if you say so, Bro. I gotta get ready for work. Thanks for the grub, it was scrumptious. The _taco_ the town. Nyeh-heh.”

 

Sans rolled his eyes at the pun but let it slide as he chuckled, "You're Welcome, Pap! Mweh-heh-heh!"

 

Papyrus grinned fondly as he put a hand on Sans’ shoulder and gave it a fond shove. Sans smirked as the shove didn’t even phase him, teasing, “You Need To Work Out, Bro, I Barely Felt That!”

 

“Not my fault you’re like a freaking tank.” Papyrus snorted as Sans quickly yanked on his shoes and went to leave.

 

“See you later, Sans.”

 

“Bye Pap!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for making it this far, dear reader!  
> I hope you have a great day!


	5. Grillby's Tea Shop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roxy follows her friend's advice and spends her Friday morning at Grillby's.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, it took me forever to decide what to do about Underswap Grillby. I haven't seen much on his character, so, after researching, I decided to, well, "wing it", as the cool kids say. If I've made a mistake well, consider it creative license? (sweats) Now enough of my rambling!  
> ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

 

 

Meanwhile, that Friday morning found Roxy rolling out of bed with a groggy groan of protest. She had been unable to sleep due to the exposure to caffeine she had imbibed, and so had fallen asleep at the horrendous hour of three-thirty a.m. It was now six in the hecking morning, which was sleeping in by a whole two hours according to her present schedule, but still… Roxy was not a morning person, and even less of a glutton for punishment. Her head buzzed with all the information she had tried to absorb from studying the night before.

 

“Goddamn… fucking hell. Why do I do this to myself? Why did I watch so many MeTube Videos before bed?!” She muttered incoherently as she sat up, her hair sticking up and out every which way.

 

Roxy grumbled to her feet, sulking to the bathroom to douse her face in freezing cold water.

 

“Phew!” she gave a little shriek as the water brought her fully to consciousness. She splashed more cold water on her face, feeling more and more awake by the second.

 

“Man.” She mumbled, “ What a crazy night. I was actually saved by a couple of skeletons. That… that _happened_. That’s a thing.”

 

Her heart gave a weird twang, but she ignored it, focusing on trying to feel alive at this ungodly hour.

 

After washing up, she changed into some clothes that would be ok to be worn in public, a clean (she hoped) pair of jeans, a grey t-shirt and her dark green hoodie, which she tied around her waist. She had made up her mind to go out to that monster café to study and prepared to leave her home for the day with both anticipation and trepidation.

 

After having a light breakfast and packing her laptop and textbooks in her backpack, Roxy plugged her ears up with her earphones, grinning as her favorite music began to blare into her ear.

 

It wasn’t too far of a walk to the café, and Roxy decided to grab all the exercise she could. A half-hour walk would be great.

 

As she locked up her house and began the walk to the café, she had to stop to take a breath. The day was so beautiful. It was the beginning of September, and though there was a slight chill in the air, the sun was out, and there were puffy, serene clouds dotting the sky.

 

“I love days like these.” She murmured contentedly as she began her walk.

 

It was strange, but after yesterday, Roxy couldn’t help but notice her surroundings more. There were a lot of people out today, and among them were monsters, commuting to work, or school. There were so many and all so different! Each one she laid eyes on seemed so unique in their own way, and gentle-mannered. Or maybe she was just biased, after meeting Sans and Papyrus.

 

Roxy felt a stab of guilt, she hadn’t really noticed the monsters before, not even after these past four years that they’d been on the surface.

 

Then again… she’d been going through a lot during that time.

 

The timid college student snorted to herself. She was an absent-minded sort of person to begin with, the type to get nervous around others, no matter who or what they looked like, and so, it was easy for her to bury her anxieties in her homework, or in her nanny job. Rather then focus on her surroundings, she would focus on literally anything else.

 

But now, with no children accompanying her, and no homework in her grasp just yet, she was completely without excuse to avoid those around her. 

There were so many different types of monsters! It was hard to not stare in fascination. She wondered idly what Sans and Papyrus were up to this morning.

 

 _I wonder if I’ll see them tomorrow._ She quirked her brows as she felt butterflies flutter up in her gut at the thought of her impending interview.

 

As her heart stuttered, she swallowed and focused up at the sky. It was really was beautiful-

 

\- as she had looked up at the sky, she failed to notice a giant crack in the sidewalk. Her shoe caught on it and she fell, the most disgusting squeal of surprise leaving her throat.

 

Thrusting out her hands, she closed her eyes, waiting for the impact.

 

It never came. A strong arm caught hold of her backpack, and kept her from falling flat on her face.

 

_“Hey punk! You should watch where you’re going!”_

 

Roxy blinked. The voice was so loud! She could actually hear it through her earphones! She looked over her shoulder quickly, to see her savior.

 

A tall, yellow and orange Saurian monster, dressed in a police uniform had caught her effortlessly and eased her back to her feet.

 

Roxy unplugged her earphones from her head, gulping, “Er, thanks! I, uh, that would have really sucked for me! I already fell yesterday.”

 

The reptilian monster grinned down at her, one gorgeous blood-orange eye trained on her while the other was covered with an eye patch. If Roxy hadn’t met Sans and Papyrus the other day, she would have been actively peeing her pants. This monster was super intimidating, and _she was a_ _cop_!

 

“You ought’ta stay aware of your surroundings, airhead! Ya never know when you need to spring into action!” the monster scolded her with a scary smile.

 

Roxy chuckled, looking off to the side, “Normally, I’d agree, officer, but I was just looking up at the sky. It’s so pretty today.”

 

The Saurian monster paused, her smile twitching as she glanced up at the sky, her features melting into a sort of bittersweet nostalgia.

 

“Yeah… The sky really is beautiful today. I guess in that case, it’s almost worth tripping over.” She chuckled a little, as she turned back to the small human.

 

“Um, I’m Roxy.” The human timidly stuck out her hand and the monster grinned as she reached out and practically crushed Roxy’s hand in her own.

 

“Alphys.”

 

Roxy squinted. Why did that sound familiar?

 

“Hey wait a second…. You aren’t the airhead that my buddy Sans was blushing about this morning, are ya?” Alphys bent slightly to get a better look, squinting at her with her good eye before straightening back up as she grinned toothily, “Yeah, you are! I see your skinned elb-I mean, WEENIS!” She howled with laughter, throwing back her head as she wiped tears from her eye, practically shouting the embarrassing word.

 

Roxy's face exploded metaphorically with blood.

Oh yeah… that _had_ been a thing she had said…

 

“Oh man, you should have see Sans BLUSH!! Like a freaking blueberry! He can be _such_ a prude sometimes, heh, but _only_ sometimes!” Alphys continued, chuckling and snorting in an unladylike manner.

 

Roxy felt a trickle of a defensive response on Sans’ behalf start to bubble up when Alphys grumbled, “I gotta run, I’m on the clock, but I look forward to seeing you around, Airhead! ”

 

“Oh, uh, you too! Nice to meet you, Alphys!” Roxy waved awkwardly.

 

“Don’t stare at the sky too much!” Alphys hollered as she swaggered away.

Alphys moved with a confidence that Roxy could only dream of possessing.

 

Putting her ear buds back, she walked with a little more caution this time, blinking owlishly. It was too early for this chaos.

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

When Roxy finally made it to the café, she blinked in surprise. First off, it was labeled as a _teashop_. So, café was really inaccurate.

 

Second, it was absolutely beautiful! The walls were painted in soft, sweet pastels, the furniture was both quaint and modern, and there was a mouth-watering smell floating through the air. The entire place was extremely neat and tidy, giving a welcoming vibe. Soothing classical music played in the background, making Roxy feel extremely relaxed.

 

“Oh, hello there! Welcome! I haven’t seen you around before. How are you today, sweetie?”

 

She whipped her head towards the counter, again, having to resist the urge to stare in amazement. Grillby was a _fire_ monster. How his gorgeously tailored, brightly colored clothes weren’t burning was beyond her-

 

Wait…

It… it was probably magic. Probably.

What else could it be?

 

“H-hi!” Roxy smiled, nervous as she approached the counter. “I, uh, yeah, I had a friend recommend this place to me. Um, maybe you know her? Her name is Kelsey.”

 

“Oh, yes! I know Kelsey. Tall,  ever-changing hair color and a big personality?” Grillby chuckled fondly.

 

“Yeah! I go to school with her.” Roxy confirmed.

 

“Well, any friend of Kelsey is a friend of mine… so long as you pay your tab of course.” Grillby chuckled in an amused and light-hearted tone, despite the weird underlying threat under those last words. Roxy looked up at the menu, murmuring, “Of course! I’d never dream of… not paying my tab?” she paused as she realized how strange that sounded, but didn’t dwell on it as she wondered what to try.

 

“It’s a lovely day today, isn’t it?” The fire monster asked in pleasant, cheery tones. It was amazing that she could understand him, cause, his voice sounded exactly how fire would sound if it spoke.

 

Amazing.

 

“It is! Very beautiful outside, although, I think I may stay in, to study, if that’s ok.” Roxy replied, with a nervous laugh.

 

“Of course, sweetie! A lot of students come here to study for their exams and such! Make yourself at home! Can I get you anything to eat or drink?” Grillby asked with a friendly laugh.

 

“Hmm. Normally, I drink coffee. Do you have any super caffeinated tea that you would recommend to a coffee drinker?” Roxy asked, giving up on the menu, as her indecisiveness won out.

 

“I think I have just the thing! Wait there, sweetie.”

 

Grillby disappeared in the back, and Roxy set her books down at a table towards the back of the teashop before wandering around a little. Her mouth watered at the sight of the pastries, and her stomach grumbled, reminding her of her light breakfast and the long walk she had just taken. Perhaps one of those delicious looking orange-cranberry scones, which were large, and topped with chunky bits of sugar-

 

Ok, she was drooling now; she really had to try one of those scones.

 

The door buzzed slightly and another monster came into the shop; she was a cute pink bunny-monster with a blue bow in her tufty fur and a really, really pretty hourglass figure. She was curvy in all the right places, and was just hands-down the prettiest being Roxy had ever seen.

 

Roxy’s low self-esteem began to pluck at her proverbial elbow, grinning nastily, _Look at how much prettier that monster is then you are! No wonder you can’t get a boyfriend! You’re so ugly, and your figure is just gross, miss no-boobs-Mcbridgette-_

_SHUT. UP._

Roxy mentally flipped off her low self-esteem’s voice as she avoided staring rudely at the pretty bunny-monster.

 

Said bunny monster paused, looking at Roxy in surprise. Huh. maybe humans didn't come around here often?

 

“Er, good morning.” Roxy greeted nervously, breaking the silence.

 

“Hello.” The bunny smiled, also apparently nervous, “Um, is Grillby around?”

 

“He’s uh, getting my… tea.” Roxy explained awkwardly.

 

“Oh.”

…

…

Silence.

 

_Oh man, I hate this. Why am I so awkward? Should I say something? Should I let her talk? What should I do? I don’t want her to think I’m ignoring her. But if I wait to long, it’s gonna be weird. Fuck me!_

The feelings overwhelmed Roxy and she blurted nervously, “Normally, I’m a coffee drinker, but a friend of mine recommended this place to me, and I thought I’d check it out, see how good the tea is. Those scones look really, really good!”

 

“Oh. Yes, Grillby is quite an excellent baker! He was quite famous in the Underground.” The bunny smiled, seeming relieved at the break in silence.

 

Roxy relaxed at the friendly smile the bunny gave her, and grinned back, “That’s so cool! I can’t believe I haven’t been here before. Its such a pretty place!”

 

“Well, not a lot of humans come here. I think Grillby makes them nervous, being made of fire and all. They don’t quite have the concept of magic fire being completely separate from natural fire.”

 

“You know, I think you’re right because the fire threw me off too.” Roxy admitted, wincing,” Is that racist?”

 

“Well, no. You’re still here, after all. It would have been racist if you had walked out.” The bunny replied kindly, “I know it’s been difficult for our cultures to intermingle, so, it’s nice to see humans who are trying to understand us, like you seem to be.”

 

Roxy blushed.

 

“I’m Cinna, by the way. Cinna Monet.” The bunny stuck out her hand(paw?) with a kind smile.

 

“Roxy Mcbridgette.” Roxy smiled as she shook the bunny’s hand, captivated by how soft her fur was. Were ALL monsters so friendly!? She’d met five so far, and they’d all been so kind!

…

 

What kind of monster was Temmie that Asgore had trouble finding someone to care for her?

 

At this moment, Grillby came back, with a large, beautiful, ornate teacup and saucer full of a strong, delicious aromatic scent.

 

“Here you are. This is my own special blend. I think you will find it quite satisfactory.” He said in a cheerful tone, turning to Cinna, he greeted, “Good morning, Cinna! The usual?”

 

“You know it, Grillbz!” Cinna smiled.

 

“Coming right up!” he turned back to Roxy,” Will that be all?”

 

“Oh, I’d love to try one of those orange-looking scones!” Roxy admitted, pulling out her purse to pay.

 

“No problem. Here you go.” Grillby selected the scone and placed it on the saucer, next to the teacup. Roxy looked at him in amazement, he had warmed the scone up perfectly just by holding it for a few minutes.

 

“Oh wow… your presentation is so pretty!” Roxy gushed, unable to stop herself. She was such a sucker for teacups.

 

“Thank you, sweetie!” Grillby seemed to blush, his pastel flames turning a tad darker.

 

Roxy paid for her food and tea and took the plate to the table she had set up for her studies in the corner.

 

Her mouth was _really_ watering by now.

 

The food experience was unlike anything Roxy had ever experienced. The tea was the _best_ thing she had ever tasted. There was no cream or sugar, and yet, the tea radiated with smoky flavor, like sipping a yummy, spicy campfire. Notes of cinnamon and chocolate flooded her senses and a strange exhilarating feeling filled her spirit. She felt alert, content and… full of energy!

 

“Oh wow.” Roxy sighed out loud, “I am in love. I’m gonna marry this tea.”

 

“True love at it’s finest!”  Cinna interjected playfully, as she settled into a table not too far from Roxy. It appeared she was a student as well, pulling out textbooks and whatnot from her bag, her cup of tea steaming slightly in swirling, beautiful patterns that spoke of the magical properties of the liquid within.

 

Roxy had to laugh at Cinna’s comment to her statement, “ Right?”

 

Next, she took a bite of the scone and practically moaned. Delicious! So, so good, the outside was crunchy, the inside was warm and soft, and the flavor-

 

“ROXY! I Didn’t Know You Were Here!”

 

Roxy jumped, nearly choking on her bite, as she looked up wildly at the excited voice that called her by name.

 

There, right in front of her, grinning like a powerful ray of the purest sunshine, was her rescuer from the night before, the Magnificent Sans.

 

He was holding the hand of a very tired-looking human child (Well, child was a loose term. They seemed to be in Middle School, probably on the verge of high school, heck, they were probably as tall as Roxy) dressed in a green and yellow striped sweater, who stood next to another child, a cute monster-child who seemed to share characteristics with a goat… so a monster _kid_? The monster kid was also dressed in green and yellow, but wore a poncho, instead of a sweater and had the brightest, cutest eyes and the softest looking fur she had ever seen. Softer even then Cinna’s!

 

“It’s So Nice To See You Again So Soon!” Sans grinned, catching her attention again.

 

Roxy chewed and swallowed, coughing slightly, “Sorry, uh, it’s nice to see you too, Sans! Fancy meeting you here.” She smiled, her face still red from the embarrassment of almost choking on her scone in public.

 

“These Are My Friends, Chara And Asriel Dreemurr!” Sans introduced. “Today Is My Day To Walk Them To School And We Usually Stop Here For Breakfast First.”

 

“It’s nice to meet you Chara, and Asriel. I’m Roxy!” Roxy stood up and held out a hand. Chara looked at Roxy with a look that was searching and knowing. It threw Roxy off slightly, but she resolutely held her hand out. Asriel grinned, “Yo! It’s cool to meet you, too, Miss Human-Lady-Dude!” Quickly shaking Roxy’s hand with a fluffy paw.

 

Chara finally broke into a grin as she also shook Roxy’s offered hand and grinned, ”So, _you’re_ the Weenis girl, huh?”

 

“Oh no, that’s what I’m gonna be famous for now, huh?” Roxy laughed, blushing bright red.

 

Sans was blushing too, a deep blue, just like Alphys had said as he scolded, “Chara! That’s, That’s Inappropriate!”

 

“What’s inappropriate about _this_?” Chara pulled up her sweater sleeve and grabbed the skin on her elbow teasingly, wiggling it at Sans. Asriel began to crack up as Sans protested, “Tha- Oh C’mon Chara! We Talked About This!”

 

Chara burst out laughing.

 

Roxy was laughing too, “Oh my god. I’m so sorry, Sans. I didn’t know what I was starting when I made that stupid joke.”

 

“It’s Quite Alright, Roxy. Chara Just Likes To Tease, Like Papyrus.” Sans admitted, still blue.

 

_God, he was so cute?_

 

Roxy blushed at the thought, thankfully, she was already red, and so they couldn’t possibly _know_ what she was turning red about now, right?

 

“Sans, could you just order my usual? I wanna talk to Roxy a bit before school.” Chara looked up at her large skeletal friend who grinned and nodded, stars in his eyes.

 

“Sure! I’ll Be Right Back!”

 

“Ooh! I wanna look at the pastries!” Asriel left with Sans to press his nose against the glass, much to Grillby’s chagrin.

 

As Sans left to place the order, Chara turned to Roxy, her face changing before Roxy’s eyes.

 

“So. You’re coming over to my house tomorrow, to see if you’re a good fit for my family?” Chara seemed to look a little more serious now, as she seemed to see _through_ Roxy in a way that was super intimidating and uncomfortable. Her eyes… they were actually of a reddish hue, and it left Roxy feeling slightly uneasy as she felt her tummy-butterflies slam into her ribs like punches from a boxer, but she took a breath as she nodded.

 

“Yes ma’am. Your dad is Mr. Dreemurr, right?” Roxy asked, trying to ignore her nervous feelings.

 

“Yeah. Temmie’s my friend. I have to warn you, Temmie isn’t easy to get along with. I’m really the only person that she doesn’t outright hate.” Chara replied honestly, carefully gaging Roxy’s reaction.

 

“Well, I’ll never know if I don’t try.” Roxy smiled, a little sadly, “My last job, I cared for a… challenging kid. He was hard to get along with too, but he had a lot of insecurities. So, I didn’t give up on him, no matter how many times he made me want to. Poor little guy just needed a friend. And while he remained difficult, he became more of a friend, the better we got to know each other. And that really made _all_ the difference for him, his family and myself.”

 

Roxy looked at Chara with seriousness as she explained, “I want you to know that this is more then a job to me. I realize that Temmie is a _person_. And she’s gotta be having a hard time with something, for her to be so weirdly _infamous_. She just needs a friend, someone who she can be herself with. Although I think she’s already found that in _you_. I’m not gonna try to replace you, that would be impossible, and I’m not gonna try to get between you either. I just want to help all of you out. If it takes some dumb verbal abuse, or nasty pranks to peel back those layers she has wrapped around herself, I’m willing to buckle up and give it a try, if it means I can help her adjust to new people, as well making things easier for you and your dad.” Roxy explained, feeling a sense of certainty in her words. She smiled sheepishly as she added softly,” I think I’ve spoken enough. I have a tendency to ramble when I’m nervous. Sorry.”

 

Chara looked at her in silence for a beat before breaking into a smile.

“All right, Weenis-girl. I think I can trust you to handle my friend.”

 

Roxy snorted at the name, “Oh my god, please don’t call me that. And please don’t tell Temmie.” Turning bright red again as Chara laughed, “Ok, ok. Roxy. Although Temmie already knows, she was there when Papyrus told us the story. She’s preparing a nasty nickname for you.”

 

“OH fudgesicles.” Roxy groaned, “Thanks for the heads up, I’ll brace myself for my new identity as ‘Weenis Girl’.”

 

Sans had returned, a to-go cup of tea and paper bag with Chara's pastry in hand. Asriel was nibbling on a muffin, his face the very essence of a god of cute, adorable fluffiness. Roxy really had to reel in the temptation to ruffle his fluffy hair.

 

“I Wish I Had More Time To Visit With You, Roxy, But We Gotta Get Going Or Chara And Asriel Will Be Late.” Sans said with some measure of regret to his voice.

 

“Guess it’s time to eat and run.” Chara grinned, “Nice to meet you, Roxy. See you tomorrow!”

 

“You too!” Roxy smiled, “Bye Sans! Bye Asriel!”

 

“Good-Bye Roxy!”

 

“Later, miss lady-dude!” Asriel waved, and Roxy’s heart sputtered, that was the most adorable child she had ever seen. He looked so soft and fluffy! _Ahhhhhhh_!

 

Roxy smiled, her cheeks warm, as the trio left. Her cheeks warmed even more as she caught herself staring at Sans’ backside, as he walked away with the two children. He was a skeleton, right? How the hell did he fill out his clothes-

 

_Oh GOD. Stop, no, bad thoughts, bad thoughts!_

 

Roxy’s face was like a tomato as she snapped her head back down to her textbooks, finally cracking open the first book and setting up her laptop for research and essay writing.

 

_Besides, he wouldn’t be interested in someone as airheaded and plain-Jane like you. Also, he’s a monster. They’re not even attracted to humans…_

_… right?_

The thought took a bitter bite out of her self-confidence and she narrowed her eyes as she shooed the negative thought away with as much determination as she could muster.

 

Sans was a _friend_ , and that was _all_ that was important to her. She _couldn’t afford_ to be so fucking petty like this!

 

 _Not again_.

 

Two hours later, she sat back and yawned, her back aching and her neck tight. Her teacup had been refilled three times, and she had just finished a delicious tea-sandwich, which had been full of cucumbers, watercress, and some sort of yummy spread that tasted like spring time.

 

Leaning back in her seat and stretching, Roxy allowed herself a moment to mentally rest from her reading and studying, removing her earphones for a moment as she cleared her thoughts.

 

“Huh, fancy seeing you here.”

 

Roxy jumped slightly, whirling to look to her left as a voice spoke in very sudden and close proximity. Papyrus was there, sitting at her table, a lollypop stuck in his mouth haphazardly like a cigarette as he slouched in his seat.

 

_How- when did- I didn’t see hi-_

 

“Hey kiddo, how’s it going? You look like you’ve seen a ghost?” Papyrus winked at her, shifting the lollypop in his mouth.

 

“It’s going great! Um… Wow, you scared the ever-living daylights out of me.” Roxy chuckled awkwardly, deciding to forgo asking the obvious.

_Of course. He can teleport._

 

“Sorry about that. Sans told me you were here this morning, and I figured I’d drop by to say thanks.”

 

“Um, for what?” Roxy asked in confusion.

 

Papyrus studied her face a moment before looking to the side, leaning back in his chair as he shifted the lollypop over in his mouth.

 

“Sans has had a hard time making friends since we’ve been here on he surface. Chara and Alphys are the only people he’s really close to, besides me. So, it meant a lot, you spending time with him and being concerned about him, enough to give him your number after just meeting him, even if he did save you from being robbed.”

 

“Oh, it was really nothing. I like him a lot! He’s really the sweetest guy I’ve ever met… Actually, he’s the sweetest _person_ I’ve ever met.” Roxy added, more quietly, “I have a hard time making friends too. So, his friendship is… it means a lot to me.” Roxy stammered over her next words, feeling anxious that she was saying too much, over-sharing, as usual “In fact, I’ve never had anyone act with such kindness and concern as he has. He’s just… super cool.” She kicked herself for her lack of eloquence.

 

Papyrus chuckled, “Heh, he is a really cool guy. The coolest guy I know. I don’t know what I would do without him _._ His happiness is really important to me, you know?”

 

Roxy swallowed, even though her mouth went dry. There was something there, in those last few words that Papyrus spoke, which made that statement… somber. There was a hidden emotion in his words that her brain honed in on, because it was _familiar_.

 

“I… I don’t know what ya’ll’s background is like… but I promise, Papyrus, I won’t do _anything_ to intentionally hurt him.“ Roxy told him quietly.

 

“Heh, I appreciate the thought, but promises are made to be broken.” Papyrus looked at her with an slightly unsettling chuckle, his right socket awash with a sudden golden glow that was gone in a flash, making Roxy wonder if she had actually seen it, although she remembered Sans’ left socket had glowed blue when he used his magic on the thief.

 

Roxy frowned as she argued, turning red but feeling strong and certain in her convictions.

 

“I disagree. Promises aren’t always kept, but that depends entirely on the person who makes the promise and the circumstances that the promise is made in. I know you just met me, but I can assure you, I KEEP my promises, and I _don’t_ make promises that I don’t think I can keep. I’ve had too many promises broken to me to do that to someone else.”

 

“Well, I guess time will tell on that. Still, Sans is really happy, after meeting you, and that’s actually all that matters to me. So long as he’s happy, I’m not worried.” Papyrus admitted, shrugging to his feet as he looked down at Roxy with an unreadable, bored expression,” I hope your interview goes well tomorrow. I wish you the best of luck, dealing with Temmie. You’ll love Asgore though. I think you already met Chara and Asriel, yeah?”

 

Roxy sighed, “Yeah, Asriel is just the cutest and Chara seems really… _Chara_ smatic _?”_ She tried, and Papyrus blinked before snickering, “Nice one.”

 

“Thanks for the luck, I think I’ll need it.” Roxy added with a pout.

 

Papyrus grinned, “Yeah, I’d say Temmie’s a _doll_ , but I’d only be half right.”

 

Roxy quirked a brow at that, but Papyrus was already leaving, waving goodbye to Grillby.

 

Roxy opened her mouth, but then closed it and shook her head. That… had been weird.

 

“Oh my god, Papyrus is such a hunk!”

Roxy turned to Cinna, whose pupils had literally turned into hearts as she watched the skeleton go, whispering her admiration in a not-too-quiet voice.

 

“I, guess?” Roxy laughed. “Actually, yeah, he is pretty handsome, for a skeleton, if I do say so myself.”

 

Cinna sighed, slightly embarrassed, “Oh, did I say that out loud?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

…

 

“Please don’t tell him.” Cinna timidly ventured and Roxy shook her head, “Of course not! But, uh, why don’t you talk to him? He’s really chill.”

 

”Oh man, I _wish_ I had the courage to talk to him! He’s just so mysterious! And he’s so funny and smart and-“

 

“Sounds like you have a giant crush.” Roxy grinned wistfully. God, she was such a sucker for romance.

 

“Unrequited, I’m sure. He didn’t even notice me.” Cinna sighed in a heartbroken tone, “I don’t even know what his type is… I don’t think I’ve _ever_ seen him with a date.”

 

“Wait… how does that work? I mean attraction between monsters?” Roxy asked suddenly, although a blush was working it’s way onto her cheeks as she realized that her question could be considered insensitive.

 

Cinna grinned, almost evilly, as she winked, taking absolutely zero offense as she returned with a teasing laugh, “Well, wouldn’t you know, sweetie? I mean did you SEE how Sans was blushing in front of you? And he was having trouble ordering, and that was Chara and Asriel’s _usual_!”

 

“Wait, what are you saying?” Roxy’s stomach dropped as Cinna replied with a light giggle, “Honey, Sans _likes_ you! Why d’ya think Papyrus was giving you the “over-protective older sibling talk? Although… I think he’s actually the _younger_ brother if memory serves me right.” Cinna added thoughtfully with a frown.

 

…

 

“That’s not a nice joke.” Roxy stuck out her tongue playfully as she argued; “There’s no way someone as cute and sweet as Sans would like someone as gross and awkward and unorganized as me. I mean, he’s probably the type who color-codes his sock drawer! And well.” Roxy glanced down pointedly at her mismatched socks, which were in plain view.

 

“Sweetie… you may be a human, but you’re far from gross. Just because you may not fit into human’s standards of beauty, that _doesn’t_ mean you’re ugly. And besides, monsters have different standards then humans do.” Cinna added with a wink, “I’d ask you out if I wasn’t so into Papyrus.”

 

Roxy turned several shades of pink and red at that and Cinna laughed, “Oh my goodness, you are just too funny! And cute! I didn’t know humans could turn so many different shades of red! Wait, is that healthy??” she suddenly asked in concern, leaning closer as she inspected the blushing human.

 

“Er, it’s just me. I turn red easily. Part of my charm, heh.” Roxy coughed as she shyly replied, “I think you’re beautiful too, Cinna. Thanks for saying those things.”

 

“Anytime. Hey, wanna trade numbers? It’d be nice to have someone to study with in the future. I promise, it’s platonic!” Cinna added with a flirty grin.

 

Roxy laughed, still red, “Sure!”

 

After trading numbers, the two students returned to their books, both feeling warm inside, as one does when they find a new friend.

 

8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Cinna had left about ten minutes ago, leaving only Roxy in the teashop.

She was pretty much finished with her studying, just needed to proof read her final drafts, which she could do later that evening. It was always good to take a break before proofreading something anyway, look at it with fresh eyes.

 

Stretching, she stood, popping some of her joints as she started gathering her things to leave.

 

She hardly noticed when a human couple came in, her earphones in her ears, blaring some punk music. So when the vague sound of shouting broke past her music, she was completely taken by surprise at the sight that met her when she looked towards the counter.

 

There was a woman screaming in an exaggerated, animated way at Grillby, her male companion shrinking away slightly the louder she got.

 

Roxy ripped her earbuds out, and was shocked at the language the woman was using.

 

Grillby was sputtering, outraged, and demanding that she leave at once, but the woman was having none of it.

 

“I’m gonna leave the worst fucking review for this place that you’ve ever read! What kind of café doesn’t serve _coffee? Are you fucking stupid?_ ” she shouted in pure outrage.

 

Roxy swallowed, her heart thumping. It wasn’t her business, there was no way that she could make a difference here. But as Grillby struggled to make himself heard over the woman’s shouting, Roxy felt herself get angry, it was just like that time that she had taken Tommy to the park some some older kid had knocked him purposefully over for no reason.

 

And besides, Grillby was so nice! There was _no_ reason for this confrontation! And really, Roxy was willing to bet that this woman was not NEARLY as much of a coffee junkie as she herself was. And if Roxy wasn’t even _annoyed_ about the lack of coffee, then this woman had _no business_ to be either!

 

It was with this feeling of rising indignation that Roxy found herself standing a few feet away, interjecting herself into the confrontation against her better judgment and character.

“Excuse me, but, what seems to be the problem?”

 

“This monster _asshole_ doesn’t serve coffee, in a freaking coffee shop!” The woman growled at her, still glaring at Grillby, who was _literally_ burning with rage as his flames turned pale yellow and blue.

 

The woman’s… male companion seemed extremely uncomfortable with the whole ordeal.

 

“Well, actually, this is a _tea shop_. It says so on the outside. But the tea _is_ super yummy!” Roxy tried to tell the woman, trying to turn the conversation pleasant. However, the outraged woman gave Roxy a look that screamed, _are you stupid_?

 

“I didn’t WANT tea, I wanted COFFEE.”

 

“Then you should definitely go somewhere else. He only serves tea here. I’m a coffee drinker too, and I knew beforehand that he didn’t serve coffee, but I decided to give the tea a try, because my friend told me it was really good! Maybe you should just try the tea before jumping to conclusions!” Roxy explained, her inner nanny coming out again as she chided herself. This was a grown adult, not a child that she was scolding.

 

And it was because of her reasoning that she was scolding an _adult_ that she didn’t see the hand swinging at her.

 

SMACK!

 

Roxy felt stupefied, as she blinked in surprise, her head turned slightly from the force of the blow.

 

The woman had slapped her.

 

She had SLAPPED her.

 

WHAT.

 

WHAT?!

 

Roxy couldn’t help it. She started laughing, giggling helplessly as tears pricked her eyes at the stinging in her cheek. More tears came, but she was still giggling.

 

“What the FUCK are you laughing at, you little bitch?!” The woman snarled, off-put by Roxy’s unattractive chortling.

 

“Oh, well, you see, I’ve been slapped before. A lot actually, just the year before! Just never by a full-grown adult!” Roxy replied between chuckles. ”I just thought it was hilarious that I _thought_ you were an adult to begin with!”

 

As the woman sputtered, turning even more livid, Roxy went on, her heart thumping but her conscience clear, “Ma’am, I have to say, you are the most unreasonable person I have ever met, and that includes my fucking stepfather, my ex boyfriend _and_ the guy who tried to _rob_ me last night!”

 

The woman turned a violent shade of purple, and seemed on the verge of hitting Roxy again, when the shop door was slammed open and a familiar, snarling voice growled, “Grillby! What the heck’s going on here?”

 

Roxy slumped in relief, as Alphys strode into the store authoritatively. Wait… was Alphys the police friend Papyrus had mentioned last night? What?

 

Grillby looked relieved, although still outraged, as a male human officer entered the teashop alongside Alphys, muttering, “God, not again.”

 

“This woman is causing a disruption in my shop, and has physically assaulted my customer.” Grillby explained with a angry glare. He had quickly called the police after Roxy confronted the human, hoping that Alphys would be in the vicinity.

Luck was on his side today, it seemed.

 

Roxy swallowed as Alphys caught sight of her and the large red handprint on her cheek.

“AIRHEAD! Are you ok?! Did you _actually_ let this woman slap you?! What’d I tell ya about minding your surroundings?! Literally just this morning?!”

 

“Heh, she moved really quick?” Roxy mumbled.

 

The human officer scowled at the couple. The guy looked even MORE embarrassed as the woman protested, “They are LYING! I don’t know what’s wrong with this woman, but she actually threatened us! She’s a total nut-job!”

 

“Sorry, but I know this chick. She's too much of an airhead to be threatening.” Alphys growled, giving the couple a baleful and pointed glare.

 

“What the hell would _you_ know? You’re just a stupid monster!” The woman snapped.

 

Alphys bluntly shrugged off the insult but before she could say anything else-

 

“Oh my god, Alicia, SHUT UP!” The guy who had come into the teashop with the troublemaker finally spoke up, taking everyone by surprise as he stepped away from her, speaking quickly, “ Officers, Mr. Grillby and this young woman are telling the truth. Alicia has disgusting manners and is completely out of control! She slapped that young lady in the face without any reason and verbally assaulted Mr. Grillby.”

 

“Aren’t you with her?” Alphys asked in confusion.

 

“Not anymore.” He growled, “I’ve suffered her disgusting behavior long enough.”

 

“You go, dude!” Roxy grinned, giving him an encouraging thumbs-up. She felt like she was witnessing a butterfly emerge from its cocoon, escaping a life of toxicity and unhappiness.

 

The woman had been gaping like an ugly puffer fish at this turn of events before shrieking like a startled possum and leaping towards Roxy to strangle her.

 

Roxy dodged rather quickly, fully prepared this time, and the human officer tackled her, reading the annoying woman her rights for assault and public disruption.

 

Roxy breathed a sigh of relief as the guy scratched the back of his head, “I’m really sorry about all this.”

 

“Hey, it’s not your fault she was an overbearing prick.” Roxy replied frankly.

 

Grillby looked at the man and queried, “Why on earth did she come _here_ if she wanted coffee? I have a sign on the front window that I don’t serve coffee beverages, to avoid this kind of confusion. In fact, Muffet serves coffee, and she’s literally a few blocks away!”

 

“She said it would be good for a laugh. I didn’t want any part of it… but, it’s always been hard to tell her “no”.” The man replied with a shudder.

 

Roxy’s heart went out to him. She had known people like that before…. Had been in those exact shoes before, in fact.

 

“You don’t need her, my dude. You seem like a really good guy, and people like her will just try to drag you down.” She told him quietly and kindly, “Um, thanks for standing up to her. I know that sort of thing can be hard to do.”

 

“Thanks. I’m Max.” he held out his hand and shook with both Roxy and Grillby.

 

“Roxy. Wow, I’m meeting so many people today. I guess that’s what happens when I actually go out and don’t stay in like a hermit.” She laughed nervously.

 

Max laughed as well, “To be completely honest, I’m a tea drinker. I freaking _hate_ coffee.”

 

Alphys broke in dryly, “I hate to break up the nerd fest, but does anyone here want to press charges?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for making it this far, and also, thanks for the kudos! I hope you have a marvelous day!


	6. Fear The Pink God Of Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Roxy and Sans hang out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I know I've been using slightly alternate names for brands that exist in real life (i.e MeTube=Youtube, Share.com=Care.com, Delicious=Tasty, Welp.com=Yelp.com, etc.)  
> But for some reason, I couldn't bear to do that with Smash Bros. So yeah. I don't know if it's laziness or what. Anyways, regardless, I hope you enjoy this chapter, dear reader!

  

Max ended up leaving an amazing review on Welp.com for Grillby’s teashop and bakery. Roxy had to smile to herself as she finally headed home. Today was turning out to be pretty good. She honestly couldn’t believe how _well_ things had turned out. Sure, she had gotten hit, but, in the grand scheme of things-

 

Taking a moment to pause, her hand went to her cheek, touching where she had been slapped. Grillby had given her a small cup of tea, telling her to please take it, on the house. When she had consumed it, her cheek had magically healed, the puffiness going away and the pain subsiding. Her elbow had healed as well, leaving her flabbergasted.

 

Grillby smiled at her astonished expression and had explained that it was monster food, which had magical properties, and this particular blend was used for healing.

 

A few tears made their way down her cheek, at the kindness Grillby had shown, but she wiped them roughly away, her smile stretching shyly across her lips.

 

Alphys had come back in, quickly, and gave a direct and rather threatening talk that had been similar in vibe to Papyrus’ talk (“You hurt my buddy Sans, and I’ll rip off your goddamn arms!”)

 

The Saurian Monster then took her phone from her and tapped out her phone number.

 

"Text me whenever ya want, Airhead." She had said gruffly, handing the phone back to her with a sharp-toothed grin that seemed more predatory then kind.

 

 _What a weird gal._ Roxy laughed slightly as she looked down at her phone, having added Alphys as "BuffDragonLady."

Her phone buzzed at that moment and she swiped at the text. It was from Sans and she felt her spirit flutter.

 

_(BlueBoy): ROXY! I JUST HEARD ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU FROM MY FRIEND ALPHYS! ARE YOU OK?_

She swallowed harshly. Her heart hurt and felt good all at the same time. She couldn’t believe how concerned he was… was Cinna right? About Sans liking her?

And on the off chance that Cinna _was_ right…

 

 _Stop reading into it, idiot!_ She thought to herself angrily as she sent Sans a reply.

 

**_I’m alright, Sans, thanks for asking! i’m also all done with studying for today. Are you busy?_ **

_(BlueBoy): I JUST GOT OFF WORK!.... SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, NO, I’M NOT BUSY! LOL_

 

 ** _“cool. then, do you wanna hang out?”_** Roxy bit her lip. That was stupid. Why would he wanna hang out with someone he had just met-

 

DING!

 

_(BlueBoy): I’D LOVE TO! WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME OVER AND PLAY SMASH BROS?_

Roxy smiled, in spite of herself, feeling her nervousness slip away. Her brothers played smash bros, and while she wasn't talented, she loved playing video games too, but never had the time these days.

 

 ** _“That sounds like a great time!”_** She texted back eagerly.

_(BlueBoy): MAY I COME PICK YOU UP IN HALF AN HOUR?_

**_“Sure! That gives me enough time to walk home and get ready.”_ **

Roxy grinned a big, dumb grin as she quickened her pace, feeling lighter. Butterflies the size and substance of large ferrets squirmed in her stomach, but she didn’t care, she was looking forward to the rest of her afternoon.

 

With a burst of excitement weaving it's way through her, she gripped the straps of her backpack and _ran_ the rest of the way home, grinning, slightly out of breath as she unlocked the door and rushed in, failing to notice the car parked across the street.

 

The smile dropped, as she saw who was in her house.

 

“Roxy! I was wondering where you were!”

 

“Uh, hi, mom.” Roxy blushed, a little embarrassed, as her mother swooped in for a hug.

 

“How have you been?”

 

“I have been fine. I think I have another job lined up, I’m going for an interview/trial run tomorrow. I’ll be getting paid double the amount too, with about the same amount of hours that I was working before!”

 

“Oh that’s wonderful! I’m so glad to hear it!” Her mother nodded, "I was going to tell you that Carl offered for you to work for him, until you could find another job, but I see that won't be necessary!"

 

“Yeah, heh." _What the fuck made you think I would accept a job from him anyways?_

 

 _"_ I, uh, didn’t know you were going to be stopping by today. Everything ok?” Roxy laughed awkwardly, deciding not to say anything regarding her feelings towards the job offer from her current stepfather. No point in beating a dead horse.

 

“Oh, yes, everything is fine. I was in the neighborhood, and thought I’d check up on the place before I pick up the kids from school. Looks like you’re doing a good job with maintaining the house.” Roxy’s mom smiled.

 

Roxy grinned back with some pride. She did work hard to keep the house and yard clean and tidy.

 

“Thanks mom. Hey, uh, I have a friend coming over to pick me up in a little bit.”

 

“Oh? Which friend?”

 

“A new friend. I met them earlier this week. I finished studying and completed my essays and whatnot this morning, so I’m taking some time to relax and hang out with them, get to know them better.” Roxy replied, a little evasively. She wasn’t ready to tell her mom that she had made a friend who was a male...

 

“I see. Well, don’t stay out too late, alright?”

 

“Ha, you know I won’t.” Roxy grinned, scratching the back of her head, “Are you gonna stay long?”

 

“No, I have to leave to pick up the kids from school. I’m glad I caught you before I left.” Her mom hugged her again and Roxy gave her a kiss on the cheek, “Mwah! Love you mom! Tell Anna and the boys I said hi!”

 

“I will. Have fun with your friend-“

 

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

 

“Oh, that must be your friend now! Let me get the door for you!”

 

Roxy began to sweat, opening her mouth to protest, but her mom went to the door and opened it before she could say anything. Sans’ friendly and sweet voice filled the air and Roxy's heart hammered against her chest.

 

“Oh Hello There! Is Roxy Home?”

 

“Er, yes, one moment please.” A clipped, abrupt tone.

 

_Oh no._

Roxy braced herself as her mother closed the door and turned a stony look at her.

 

“You didn’t say your friend was a monster… Or a boy for that matter.”

 

_And there it is._

 

“Mom, he’s nice! Like, super, super nice! He and his brother actually helped me out yesterday when I went for a grocery run! They _literally_ saved me from being robbed!”

 

Her mom pulled a face, “You were robbed?”

 

“Almost! I went to the grocery store, cause I needed some things, but then this guy just pushed me, for no reason, and he took my wallet without me knowing. Sans and his brother saw it happen from across the street, and they not only stepped in and made him give my wallet back, but they helped me with my grocery shopping.”

 

Her mom seemed torn and hurt, looking over her daughter, she chided, “Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner?”

 

“Mom, _I’m fine_ , and I didn’t want you to worry. You’ve got enough on your plate with the court-date and everything else going on with the kids.” Roxy replied gently, hoping that maybe her mom would be more understanding and accepting.

 

“But what if they have ulterior motives? I haven’t heard _anything_ positive about their kind and-“

 

“MOM! That is racist and _rude_! Trust ME when I say that I can vouch for him! You know I wouldn’t hang out with someone who I thought was _dangerous_!” Roxy retorted, feeling hurt and shocked. 

 

Her mother had some strong political views, but this was out of the blue and it caught Roxy off-guard.

 

The look of doubt and suspicion that her mother gave her cut her to the quick, yet left her unsurprised. It was _always_ like this, when Roxy expressed feelings or ideas that were contrary to what her mother thought. Thank god she was over 21… but this _was_ her mother’s house, even if she _was_ paying rent.

 

 _She’s just looking out for you, Roxy. Stop being so selfish…_ Her guilt whispered to her, " _She doesn't want what happened to her to happen to you. That's all."_

 

"I never said I didn't trust you! I just want you to be safe! Careful!" Her mother said softly, in a wounded tone.

 

“I’ll let you lock up, mom. I have to go. Thanks for stopping by.” Roxy finally spoke after a moment, her face heated. Damn it, she felt like such a  _little kid_.

 

“Call me when you get home.” Her mother replied.

 

"Ok."  _Oh fuck me sideways. So much for enjoying the rest of my Friday._

 

Roxy felt her shoulders get hot with embarrassment and shame, as she opened the door, looking up at Sans with a forced smile. He returned her smile with one of confusion and concern.

 

“Everything Alright?” he asked in such a genuine tone, it took Roxy’s breath away. She frowned as she realized she hadn’t even put her backpack down, but shrugged; she really didn’t want to put it back in the house and so gripped the straps as she looked up at the worried skelly.

 

“Oh, yes, I’m fine, sorry for the wait.” Roxy nodded, forcing cheer into her face. Sans grinned, “ It’s No Problem! C’mon! I Can’t Wait To Show You My House! Papyrus Moved It Straight From Snowdin!”

 

“Is that a place in the underground?... and wait, your brother _moved_ the whole house?” Roxy queried, already jumping far, far away from her mother’s unkind accusations as she focused on Sans.

 

“Yeah! People Keep Asking About The Snow On The Roof, But, It’s Just Part Of Papyrus’ Time-Space Shenanigans!” Sans chuckled, “Although, It Has Helped With Some Of The Homesickness I Used To Feel.”

 

“There’s snow on the roof?” Roxy giggled, not sure if she quite believed it, “ Now there's something I've got to see! That’s weird, but cool.”

 

“Mweh-Heh-Heh! My House _Is_ Cool! Almost As Cool As I Am!”

 

Roxy smiled up at him as he continued talking; feeling far more relaxed now, as they walked down the sidewalk, letting the anxiety and guilt that her mother had dumped on her wash away.

 

The day was still gorgeous, with the sun beginning to lower down. It was later in the afternoon, and Roxy sighed as she tried to release all the stress that had built up inside of her at her mom’s confrontation.

 

“Are You Sure You’re Ok?” Sans asked in concern, as she stumbled slightly over nothing except her own feet.

 

“Yeah… this was just a wild afternoon. That woman that attacked Grillby was so awful.” Roxy admitted, “I, uh, I thought I was gonna die, confronting her, but Grillby was just so _nice_ , I couldn’t just let her talk to him like that. She was way out line.”

 

“I’m Glad You Were There, But, I’m Sorry That You Got Hurt. Again.” Sans admitted.

 

“No, no don’t be sorry.” Roxy patted his arm out of instinct, turning bright red as he looked down at her touch, his cheeks dusting blue.

 

“Oh, I’m sorry! It, it was reflexive, I-“

 

“Now _You’re_ Apologizing For Something Silly!” Sans laughed at her, his expression quirking into a cute smirk as the blush dissipated.

 

Roxy’s heart stuttered as she looked up into his eyes, wondering how she hadn’t noticed how _cute_ his bright blue pupils were, or that very slight gap between his front teeth, or the slight dusting of grey freckles over his off-white cheek bones-

 

“I Guess We’ll Just Have To Forgive Each Other And Move On?” Sans jokingly added, oblivious to her spacing out.

 

“Yeah, I suppose.” Roxy laughed back, feeling suddenly shy as she quickly looked away from him.

 

Sans paused and Roxy saw the house. Sure enough, there _was_ snow on the roof and she laughed a little in awe and wonder, “Oh wow! I love the Christmas lights! So pretty!”

 

“Mweh-Heh-Heh! I Strung Those Lights Up Myself Years Ago!” Sans scowled slightly as he added with a slight scowl, “Papyrus Was No Help At All! He Just Napped On The Roof While I Was Hard At Work!”

 

“That’s the story of… wait, which of you is the older brother?” Roxy asked suddenly, quirking her brows.

 

“Oh, I Am!” Sans said proudly. “Papyrus Is My Tall Little Brother!” He scowled as he added, “I Don’t Know Why He Ended Up Being Taller!”

 

Roxy laughed a little, “I’m in the same boat, all my younger siblings are taller then me… even my little sister! And funny you should mention, cause _she_ calls _me_ her little old sister. I guess that’s just how it goes when you’re the oldest sibling!”

 

Sans stared at her before laughing, “W-well, There’s Something We Share In Common, Besides, Uh, Our Love Of Jogging?”

 

Roxy nodded, blushing, she turned back to the lights, asking softly, “And you leave the lights up all year?”

 

“Yup, We Sure Do!”

 

“That’s really cool! I love that.” Roxy grinned, scratching the back of her neck, “Christmas lights are one of my favorites things! I always thought that they were the best part about winter. They just... fill me with hope, you know?”

 

“They Do Make For A Bright Night.” Sans grinned, looking slightly wistful as he added, “Snowdin Was Always So Dark, So, Having The Lights Up Helped Brighten The Town. Literally And Figuratively.”

 

“Wow…” Roxy murmured. She really _was_ an airhead. All this time, since the monsters had been out, she had largely remained ignorant of their history, what they went through.

 

Guilt gnawed at her, even though that hadn’t been on purpose. She wasn’t a social creature, (or, rather, she hadn’t had the time or the desire to _be_ social the last four years), and this, that she was doing right now, was a little unorthodox for her. But she had really enjoyed talking to Sans, her afternoon was completely open and she _wanted_ to get to know him and Papyrus better.

 

“Is your brother home?” Roxy asked, tilting her head slightly as Sans unlocked the door and strode in, holding the door open for her.

 

“No, He Is At Work Right Now. Sometimes, Our Work Shifts Oppose Each Other In The Time Of Day That They Occur. Today Is One Of Those Days.”

Sans suddenly looked worried as he asked, “Is That Ok? I Should Have Told You Before. D-Don't Worry, He’ll Be Home Soon-”

 

“No, no, it’s fine.” Roxy told him, smiling, “I trust you, Sans.”

 

San’s eyes burst into the shiniest, cutest stars she had ever seen and Roxy’s heart sputtered as he grinned happily, innocently, “WOWZERS! I Can’t Believe How Quickly We’ve Become Friends! It usually Takes Other Humans A Couple Of Weeks To get Used To Me!”

 

“A couple of weeks? You? But you’re so nice! And totally not socially awkward!” _Like me._

Roxy quirked a brow, that was weird. Sure, Sans was kind of intense and _robustly_ energetic, but how could it take literal weeks for someone to get used to him? He was so nice! And kind, and polite, and _cute-_

 

 _Stop it, Roxy! Bad! Get to_ know _him_ before _you start crushing!_

_PFFFT!…who said anything about crushing?! I’m_ not _crushing!_

_NOPE!...not at all-_

“Roxy?”

 

“Oh, sorry, I spaced out. So! Smash Bros, yeah?” Roxy pulled a too-wide smile to cover up her nervous thoughts. “I actually suck at this game, but it’s really fun to play anyways.”

 

“Yes!” Sans pulled Roxy excitedly to the living room, grabbing the controllers and booting the TV up.

 

“Did you want anything to eat before we start?” Sans queried as the technology powered up, “We’ve Got Popato Chisps, I think there’s some leftover Cinnabunnies from yesterday and-“

 

“Oh, no, I’m ok, although if you need a snack, don’t let me stop you… what _is_ a cinnabunny?” Roxy backtracked curiously.

 

“I’ll Get You One To Try! You Don’t Have To Finish It, If You Don’t Like It, But I Think You Will! Uh, Like It, I Mean!”

 

Sans raced off to the kitchen, and Roxy giggled, unable to help herself as she watched him go. Did he have the ability to _not_ be cute?! And seriously, how the HELL did he _fill_ out his clothes if he was just bones-

_NO! MIND OUT OF THE GUTTER, MISSY!_

_RIGHT!_

_NOW!_

Roxy had turned bright red again, and when Sans came back, a plate with a bunny-shaped pastry in hand, Roxy had sat down on the couch, hugging a cushion to hide her face.

 

“Roxy? Is Something The Matter?”

 

“Huh, what? No, I’m fine!” Roxy smiled awkwardly, “Um, wow, that looks good! That’s a cinnabunny?”

 

“Yup!”

 

Roxy pulled the ear off of it, feeling a brief stab of guilt before taking a bite.

 

Her eyes widened as all the best flavors of cinnamon, brown sugar and nutmeg filled her senses, taking her far away to cold lands and warm cabins full of strong, family bonds.

 

“Oh my gosh! This is the best thing I have ever eaten!” She gasped, for the umpteenth time that day.

 

“Mweh-Heh-Heh! I Had A Feeling You Would Like It.” Sans smiled softly in triumph.

 

“It’s s _o_ yummy! Where do you get these?” Roxy asked in deep contentment as she devoured the _other_ ear.

 

“They’re sold at the Monster Shop, downtown. The shopkeeper was one of our neighbors and she gives us discounts sometimes. I think her granddaughter was at Grillby’s this morning? Maybe you met her?”

 

“Oh! You mean Cinna Monet?” Roxy asked in astonishment.

 

“Yeah! You Did Meet Her! Her Grandma Named The Cinna-bunnies After Her.”

 

“That’s awesome!” Roxy grinned, pulling off the other ear and chomping it ravenously. “I’ll definitely have to broaden my shopping places! Grillby’s was amazing, and the monster shop sounds so cool! Normally, I’m the type to just stick to what I’m familiar with, as far as locations go… but it seems I’m really missing out!”

 

“I’m Glad I Could Change Your Mind. NOW THEN!”

 

She jumped slightly as his tone rose with excitement, his expression becoming smug and challenging,” ARE YOU READY TO FIGHT TO THE _DEATH_?”

 

“Oh my god, you frightened me! Yes, I am ready to do battle with you, Sans!” Roxy giggled, raising her own voice.

 

“GOOD! NO HOLDING BACK!” Sans declared.

 

“NO HOLDS BARRED!” Roxy bellowed.

 

Sans blushed a little, but Roxy didn’t notice as she scrolled through the characters, settling on the Ice Climbers quickly.

 

“I’ve always liked these guys. They’re so cute and it’s like playing two characters at once!” she explained, settling back and getting ready for the fight.

 

Sans chose Kirby and then proceeded to kick the _ever living daylights_ out of Roxy’s characters. In that very moment, Roxy forgot about her stress and guilt. Her head was in the game and she was ready to play.

   

“Oh my GOD, you overpowered pink _blob_! Noooo!” Roxy yelped as her characters were continuously flung off the stage.

 

“MWEH-HEH-HEH! FEAR THE PINK GOD OF DEATH!” Sans laughed raucously, as he once again threw the ice climbers off the stage.

 

Roxy shrieked in laughter, forgetting everything else as she battled Sans via digital magic, exchanging verbal challenges and playful insults with him as they fought.

 

“NO _FAIR_!” Roxy howled as Sans separated her characters from each other, throwing the pink ice climber off the stage, “No!!! My twin! I’ll avenge youuuu!”

 

“There’s No Escape! Come Meet Your End!” Sans cackled. He deftly avoided the remaining ice-climber’s cold breath attack and proceeded to make Kirby swallow the ice-climber.

 

“Oh damn it! Fuck _off_ with your vore fetish!” Roxy squealed in disgust as Kirby spat out the ice climber and took on the powers of her character.

Sans laughed evilly, sniping, “How About A Taste of Your Own Medicine-“

 

But while he was talking, the pink ice-climber rejoined their twin and Roxy quickly joined the two and spun them, knocking Kirby off the stage with a triumphant and rowdy laugh.

 

“HA! You were _saying_?” she grinned mockingly.

 

Sans said nothing and she turned her head, worried at his silence, only to meet a rather intense gaze he was directing at her.

 

She shivered under his bright blue gaze, his brows scrunched, his smile less innocent and more predatory, showing pointed canines in the corners of his mouth as he chuckled, in a velvety tone, “Oh, It’s ON!”

 

_Oh my god… it should be illegal to sound that sexy… OH FUCK!_

Roxy squeaked as suddenly, her characters were knocked off the stage again, ending the game with Sans as the victor. 

 

“Uh, best two out of three?” Roxy giggled, her heart hammering as she tried to ignore the bubbly pulsing in her stomach and chest from that _look_ he had given her.

 

Sans nodded, his expression delighted and once again more innocent, as she was accustomed to, laughing as his eyes twinkled at her, “LET’S DO IT!”

 

The next fight had Roxy thinking and being more strategic, and she managed to knock Kirby off the stage a few times, as Sans protested, “ NO!!! Why You Little-!”

 

He growled, dipping forward as he shouted, “THAT’S _IT_! YOU GET THE _FOOT_!”

 

 _That_ sent Roxy into helpless giggles as she shrieked,” KEEP YOUR _NASTY-ASS_ FEET AWAY FROM ME!” Sending her characters running in blind panic from Kirby.

 

“GET BACK HERE AND FIGHT ME! COWARD!” Sans yelped in protest as he made Kirby give chase.

 

“NEVER! DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR!” She shouted back.

 

“YOU ARE _LITERALLY_ RUNNING FROM ME, YOU DON’T _GET_ TO SAY THAT!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heh, I had so much fun writing the Smash Bros fight.
> 
> If you have made it down this far, thank you for reading! I hope you have a lovely day!


	7. Good Pizza And Personal Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We end Friday in the only appropriate way; with some yummy pizza and totally personal questions!  
> ...Also a lot of really bad mom jokes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may have made myself hungry writing about food. *sighs*
> 
> Also, Wingdings Gaster is swapped with the river person and is the oldest skelly brother, making Sans the very responsible middle child.

Papyrus had just wrapped up his shift at the ice-cream shop that was down the street, muttering under his breath as stress ate at him. It was a familiar feeling, but that didn't make it any less torturous. 

"See ya later, Justine," He called out to his manager, who was leaning against the counter looking like she wanted to blow her brains out. Justine was an older woman, with many tattoos and piercings. Frankly, she looked like someone who would work at a dive bar, sticking out like a sixth toe in the pastel themed ice-cream shop.

 

Justine half turned as she waved back with a clenched grin, "See ya later, Spooky-pants. Hey, go fuck yourself!" She added with a wink, sticking her tongue out.

 

"Aw, why would I do that when I'm gonna visit your _mom_ later?" Papyrus flipped her off with a friendly chuckle as Justine smirked, "yeah, yeah, go home and get some rest, bitch boy. And hey, forget about that stupid cunt and her little shits that came in earlier, alright? They've been banned, we won't be serving them anymore." she added, her tone sliding to serious at those last words.

 

Papyrus just groaned as he pushed open the door and stepped out onto the concrete. Thank god Justine was such a cool human. Otherwise, he'd probably have quit this dumb job by now. She made it tolerable with her dirty humor and nonchalance.

 

It was later in the afternoon by this time and Papyrus shuffled down the sidewalk, hands in his pockets as he mumbled, "Huh, Sans is probably home by now..."

 

He paused, guilt and irritation gnawing at him.

 

Some snobby entitled racist mom and her brats that had been in the store earlier had completely ruined his mood… and he didn’t want to bring that bad mood home. Although Justine had tried to get him smiling again... it just wasn't enough. He needed a moment to just... just be.

 So, he materialized his magic, calculating a shortcut through the void before throwing himself headlong into it, allowing the wash of ~~_empty space_   _and absence of time_~~ to clear his mind a moment before he appeared in his destination; Waterfall, in The Underground, his old stomping grounds... well no, this was more of Sans' stomping grounds then his own. He preferred Snowdin himself, all his favorite places were there... but he knew the person he wanted to see would most likely be here, in this marsh.

 

The tall, lanky skeleton sighed, drawing his hoodie over his head as the familiar sights and noises assailed him.

Checking his phone, he frowned. There were no bars at the moment and he had totally forgotten to text Sans before taking the shortcut.

_Eh, Bro will forgive me for being home late._

Papyrus walked quickly, comforted by the wet environment, listening to the whispers of the echo flowers and the quiet rushing of the waters in the marsh.

 

Passing by Gerson’s old shop, he took the tunnel down to the river. The platform was empty. Not surprising.

 

He leaned against the cavern wall and waited patiently.

 

A distant splashing echoed down the cavern and a quiet, baritone voice could be heard, singing quietly. Papyrus grinned as his oldest brother, Wingdings, appeared from the darkness, rowing his strange boat. Wingdings was even taller then he was, and thinner. He reminded Papyrus of that character from that one human horror game,  _Thinman..._

_Or, Thinman reminds me of my brother. Either way..._

 

The eldest Gaster looked at Papyrus in surprise, as he pulled his boat in towards the platform.

 

“Hello Papyrus.” Wings greeted cautiously.

 

“Heya ‘Dings.” Papyrus greeted quietly, pulling out his box of cigarettes.

 

Wingdings docked his boat and stepped out, tilting his head.

 

“As much as I love your visits, brother, you only come here when you are upset. What’s the matter?”

 

Papyrus chuckled,” Aw, can’t I just _want_ to visit my oldie-bones brother?”

 

Wings gave him an unimpressed frown, his white eye-lights flickering purple and Papyrus frowned, “Damn it, I can never fool you.”

 

“You’re not exactly subtle.” Wings replied dryly as he leaned against the wall with Papyrus and took one of his cigarettes.

 

“Oh sure, please help yourself.” Papyrus muttered sarcastically as he grabbed one for himself and lit it up.

 

The two inhaled deeply before blowing a large, swirling cloud of orange and purple smoke out into the damp air.

 

There was a moment of silence, as the smoke swirled and dissipated before Papyrus finally admitted, “I’m just really fucking tired from work. Some shit happened, with some bossy-ass human woman and,… I was in a bad mood. Didn’t want to go home like that and bring Sans down, you know?”

 

“Oh for fuck’s sake, Papyrus.” Wingdings muttered in some measure of disgust,” You _still_ treat him like a child. He's already 24, and in spite of what you think, he's well aware of the dark side of life!”

 

“You’re not _there_ ok?!” Papyrus growled out, his temper flaring at the accusation as he spat thoughtlessly, “Sans does _so much_ to try to boost our hope and I just-“ he stopped, as Wingdings visibly sagged, stuttering, “I-I’m sorry Wings. I _know_ that’s not your fault… you didn't  _choose_ this. It's just... all the little shit that gets to me." Papyrus groaned as he sank against the wall, one leg drawn to his chest, the other laid out in front of him, as he put a hand to his forehead and groaned, “I _know_ I shouldn’t let it all build up like this… but I _hate_ it when Sans thinks that this… that _my_ bad attitude and unhappiness is _his_ fault. That's the direction his mind goes when I talk to him about how I'm _feeling._ Especially after that  _bitch_ shredded his soul like it was made of paper.”

 

Wingdings sighed, looking out over the flowing river as he took another drag from the cigarette, blowing purple smoke out his jack-o-lantern mouth. The smoke curled and dissipated before he responded.

 

“I know it’s hard to break old habits. We… heh, we worked really hard to keep him in the dark, didn’t we?” Wingdings admitted, “But that all turned out to be in vain, because he _knew._ He knew _everything and_ was keeping it from _us_ , just _as much_ as we were keeping it from _him._  That attitude, the three of us trying to protect each other by _lying_ and pretending that everything was _ok_.... it almost broke us.” Wings turned to Papyrus, his faint, glowing eyes saddened as he continued, “We’ve come a long way from that since then… but it sounds as though you’re both still clinging to that behavior, Papyrus. I don’t know. The both of you need to talk… and be honest with each other, or things _will go to hell, just like last time_.”

 

Papyrus nodded, not totally sold on the idea as he finished his cigarette.

 

“Everything ok here, ‘Dings? You need anything from the Surface?” he murmured, unwilling to continue the discussion.

 

“It’s… _fine_. Just quiet since most everyone left. And no, I have plenty of supplies.” Wingdings admitted with a hollow laugh. “It’s really not a bad place to be trapped in, all things considered.”

 

“I’ll get you out of here.” Papyrus promised fiercely, although he couldn’t look his oldest brother in the eye, “I just need… I need more _time_. I’ve _almost_ got it figured out, I swear. There’s… there’s just something missing in the equation that I haven’t figured out yet.”

 

“Don’t be so hard on yourself. We didn’t know _this_ would happen.” Wingdings chuckled morosely, “Besides, you and Sans coming to visit so often it… it really helps, you know?”

 

Papyrus barked a laugh,” The least we could do for you, ‘Dings, after all you did for us.”

 

Wingdings shrugged as he held out a hand to Papyrus, helping him to stand and giving him a fond smile.

 

“I’m sorry if I came across as bossy. You were right when you said that I’m _not there_. I _can’t see_ what’s going on. I just know what we’ve been through.” Wingdings told him firmly, “ I know you both are trying. And I’m proud of the two of you, for getting this far.”

 

Papyrus smiled, a little bittersweet as he shrugged, “I’m not anything to be proud of, but thanks, Wings. I’d better get going, but I’ll talk to you again real soon.”

 

“Take care, Pap. Tell Sans I said hello.” Wingdings smiled softly as Papyrus vanished before his eyes.

 

With a sigh, the tallest of the skeleton brothers turned to the river and closed his eyes, listening. The solitude wasn't bad... it was the _whispers from the dark_  that disturbed and annoyed him.

 

The river burbled and rushed, but it couldn't _quite_ drown out the the voices that whispered to him, one voice rising above the rest, but he pushed _that_ voice away with extreme guilt as he continued to listen to the river, drawing magical strength from it.

 _Sans and Papyrus will be_ just fine _without me._

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

When Papyrus teleported into his lab, he sagged against the wall, looking at his messy workspace with tired sockets.

 

He _wanted_ to work on getting that equation solved but… he was so _tired_.

Glancing at the clock, he stiffened, it was far later then he realized. _Sans was gonna kill him!-_

At that moment, however, there was a _THUD_ from upstairs and the dim sound of vicious yelling and threats, making him jump slightly in surprise. The muffled rattling of his brother's bones broke through the silence and Papyrus stiffened.

 

_SANS IS IN DANGER!_

In the blink of an eye, Papyrus had taken a shortcut to the kitchen and quickly gathered his magic, preparing a sneak attack, as he heard the shouts, clearly now.

 

“Mweh-Heh-Heh! Wowzers, You MISSED! Are You Even TRYING To Hit Me??!”

 

_That was Sans' voice, but… he didn’t sound scared… his rattling wasn't alarmed, either. It was playful sounding. What the heck was going on?!_

 

Sans shout was followed by a shrill scream and a semi-familiar voice, “YOU _ABSOLUTE_ WALNUT, I WILL NOT _HESITATE_ TO  _FUCK_  YOU UP!”

 

Papyrus frowned as he peered into the living room, sockets widening at the sight.

 

Sans was standing intrepidly on the spine and arm of the couch, his elbows and limbs askew in concentration, bones rattling occasionally with excitement, while Roxy sat on the floor with her back to the couch, her knees drawn to her chest and her controller held far out from her body in a way that couldn’t possibly be comfortable.

 

They were both staring intensely at the Tv, unaware of his entrance, fingers mashing buttons, continuing to spout vicious threats at each other.

 

“ _STOP_ EATING ME, DAMNIT!” Roxy snarled.

 

“HA! THAT’S NOT WHAT YOUR _MOM_ SAID LAST NIGHT!” Sans quipped with a snarky tone, causing both Roxy and Papyrus to sputter in shock.

 

“ _YOU’LL_ BE EATING A _KNUCKLE-SANDWICH_ IN A HOT SECOND, BONE BOY!” Roxy exploded, standing to her feet in outrage as she smashed buttons furiously on her controller, eyes locked onto the screen.

 

Papyrus couldn’t help it. He exploded in laughter, his shoulder shaking as he bent over double, cackling aloud. Several things happened at once when he did this.

 

Roxy spun around, so fast that she lost balance and wobbled, the wire of her controller tangling around her ankles and throwing her off balance. Sans snapped his head over his shoulder, but immediately lost his already precarious footing on the couch and toppled over.

 

8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Blinking and groaning, Sans sat up, wondering why there was a weight on his body-

 

He stopped as he looked down at his lap and his entire face exploded in the color blue, gasping, “Oh Stars!”

 

Roxy had fallen on top of him, with her pelvis over his femurs, creating an ‘X’ with their bodies. She seemed to be unaware that she was on top of him, her face smashed in the carpet, groaning something incoherent.

 

“I know I’m pretty easy to _fall_ for, but this seems a bit much-“ 

 

They both snapped their gaze towards Papyrus, who stood in front of them with his hands stuck in his pockets, slouching and grinning.

 

Roxy gave a sour expression at that, as Sans protested, outraged, “SERIOUSLY, PAP?! WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF A GAME!!!”

 

“Really? Cause it looks like you were in the middle of… _boondoggling_.” Papyrus waggled his brow-bones.

 

Sans sputtered breathlessly, turning  _purple_ as Papyrus added with a snicker, “I know my brother’s cool and all, Roxy, but isn’t it a bit soon for you to be _jumping his bones?”_

 

“Huh?” Roxy then realized the position she was in and her eyes bugged as her cheeks exploded in red.

_OH MY GOD I’M IN HIS LAP!-OH GOD I CAN FEEL HIS PELVIS!_

 

Pushing off Sans, she quickly got to her feet, “I’m so sorry, Sans, are you ok?!” Holding out a hand to him, her cheeks bright red, “My bad, I didn’t even know I was… on top… of you.” She practically choked out that last bit and refused to look him in the face.

 

Sans took her hand, still bright blue, as he protested, “No, No, I’m Ok! Are You Ok?”

 

“Y-yeah, er.” Roxy blushed as she looked at Papyrus with a slight scowl,” Dude, that’s _twice_ today that you’ve scared the _ever-living daylights_ out of me! Not cool!”

 

Papyrus cackled unapologetically, “Sorry. Old habit.”

 

Roxy looked at the game ruefully,” Wow, I suck. I lost eight times in a row. Papyrus, remind me to never play Smash Bros with Sans again, unless I’m cruisin’ for a bruising.”

 

“Heh, noted.” Papyrus chuckled.

 

Sans protested, “Oh C’mon, Don’t Be Like That, Roxy! If- If you want, I Can Teach You Some Combos! I, Uh, I Notice You Do A Lot Of Random Button Mashing And There Is A Method To Playing Smash Bros Well!” he added, sweating a little.

 

“Really? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’d love to learn how to play better, but wouldn’t you be setting yourself up for a crushing defeat at my hands?” Roxy grinned as she teased him.

 

He gave her a smirking grin, flashing his canines as he replied,” On The Contrary! Teaching You To Play Would Just Make The Victory Sweeter!”

 

“Yeah, the victory will be sweet alright… MY victory, that is!” Roxy chuckled mischievously.

 

Sans smirked back, winking at her, “We’ll see about that!”

 

Papyrus watched the two through lidded sockets, still feeling exhausted, he yawned and queried, “How long have you two been playing?”

 

“Oh, since about 5:30-ish, right, Sans?” Roxy turned to Sans, but he was looking at the clock on the wall in horror.

 

“Crap! It’s Almost 7! I Haven’t Started Dinner!” he gaped, “Holy Moly, I C _ompletely L_ ost Track Of Time!”

 

“It’s almost seven?!” Roxy gasped, the whole reason why she never played video games smacking her in the face.( _It's time consuming as fuck_ )

 

“Well, ya know, it’s Friday. We could just order pizza for dinner. Whadd'ya think, Roxy, you hungry?” Papyrus suggested as he threw himself into his armchair.

 

“Oh, I don’t wanna be a bother, you guys.” Roxy protested, but Sans waved her off, “Nonsense! You’re A _Guest_ , Not A Bother! I Would Have Loved To Make You Some Of My Famous Home-Made Tacos, But It Appears That Will Have To Wait! Does Pizza Sound Good To You?”

 

“I…Yeah, I love pizza…” Roxy paused, as she laughed a little, blushing, “Thanks…You guys… you guys are really nice. Like, nicer than anyone I’ve ever met. ”

 

Papyrus smirked as he stood to his feet, winking at Roxy,” Easy there, sweetheart. It’s just take out pizza. No need to-”

 

“Pap No!” Sans protested, already seeing where this was going.

 

-“Be so _cheesy_ about it. Any way you _slice_ it, we’re just being good hosts; easy as _pie_ , really _.”_

“PAPYRUS NO!” Sans had his face in his hands, his scream of exasperation muffled by his gloves as Papyrus chuckled, wriggling his brow bones with a smug retort, “Papyrus, yes!”

  

Roxy giggled, grinning, “Well, since you’re twisting my arm, sure, I’d love to stay for pizza!”

 

“I’ll make the call. You guys set the table. Deal?” Papyrus had already pulled out his cellphone.

 

“Deal!” Sans grinned as he took Roxy’s hand and lead her to the kitchen. Roxy blushed again. He… he seemed to grab her hand a lot. Was that just a monster thing or did he-?

 

_For goddess’s sake, you’re reading into it! Stop! Just stop!_

_…I can’t._

“This is our kitchen!” Sans gestured, “If you don’t mind helping, I’ll grab the plates and you can grab the silverware! It’s over at that drawer over there.”

 

“No problem!” Roxy giggled as Sans bustled about. His energy really was quite infectious.

 

“Hey, Sans, um… what silverware do you guys use for pizza?”

 

“Oh, well, we don’t use silverware for the  _pizza_  but I was thinking I could throw together a salad to go with it!”

 

“Got it! Forks then!” Roxy opened the draw, blinking as she saw the usual silverware items and… bones?

_Should I… Should I ask about the bones in the drawer?_

 

She blinked again, her mind going several directions at once before blankly grabbing three forks and closing the drawer, softly deciding that it must be a skeleton thing and not at all something she should worry about.

  

“Roxy! Everything alright?” Sans called out, putting the plates and cups on the table and getting to work on tossing a quick salad together.

 

“Oh! Yeah, great! Just great!” Roxy laughed nervously as she joined him in the dining room, putting the forks by each plate.

 

“Thanks for your help!”

 

“Oh, really it was no trouble.” Roxy chuckled.

 

Papyrus came in at that moment, a stack of pizza boxes in hand.

 

“Got the good stuff, guys.” He chuckled as he put the pizzas on the table, popping one open, “Sorry, Roxy, I forgot to ask what toppings you like.”

 

“Oh, it's ok, I’m not picky _at all_ about pizza toppings. I’m actually quite a heathen in that respect.” Roxy admitted with a smile.

 

Papyrus snorted and laughed, “Yeah right. No one actually  _likes_ anchovies.”

 

Roxy shifted guiltily, refusing to make eye contact with either Sans or Papyrus.

 

Papyrus blinked in disbelief, catching Roxy’s fidget,” No way. You LIKE that garbage? Like, you actually  _care_  for it?”

 

“PAPYRUS! Don’t Be Rude! And You’re One To Talk, You Eat EVERYTHING with TOO MUCH HONEY! Including That Very Slice Of Pizza You’re About To Put Into Your Mouth Right Now!” Sans accused, head tilted as he pointed across the table.

 

Roxy actually burst out laughing, as she watched Papyrus pour gobs of honey onto his slice of plain cheese pizza.

 

He shrugged nonchalantly, “So? S _he_  likes anchovies. We’re both heathens I guess, just different sects. Look, all I’m saying is she’s giving off a-.”

 

“-DON’T!”

 

“- _fishy_ vibe.” Papyrus winked at Roxy as Sans screeched, “OH MY GOD, PAP, STOP!”

 

Roxy's shoulders shook with repressed laughter as she put her face in her hands. Gulping air, she looked up, face flushed, lips stretched in a relaxed smile as she grabbed the second box, her eyes widening, “Is this… is this a taco pizza?”

 

“MWEH-HEH-HEH! Not As Good As MY Own Tacos, But Close Enough!” Sans grinned as he grabbed three pieces from that box.

 

Roxy laughed a little, “I’ve never had a taco-pizza before! I wanna try it!”

 

She grabbed the smallest piece, hovering it over her plate before taking a bite. If her pupils could have morphed into stars, the way Sans’s eyes did, they would have.

 

It was a delicious taste of spicy beef, avocado, tomatoes, cilantro and a dollop of whipped cream.

 

“Wow, this is really good!” she whistled.

 

She grabbed some of the salad Sans had tossed together, practically groaning in delight as she discovered that it wasn’t a drab salad like she was used to. Flavors of lime, cilantro and basil intermingled with the lettuce, tomatoes and avocados that that been neatly sliced in.

 

“Sans, this is the best salad I have ever had! Hands down! Bar none!” She declared.

 

Sans blushed at her obvious sincerity, “Mweh-heh, Well, I have Improved A Lot Since Living On The Surface!”

 

“That’s true, he has. I bet even Gordon Ramsey would love the stuff my bro cooks.” Papyrus agreed, shooting Roxy a wink as he chomped into his third slice of honey-covered cheese pizza.

 

Roxy was trying hard to not stare, surprise mounting as she began to notice that both Sans and Papyrus had  _tongues._

San’s tongue was cyan and glinted with incandescent yellow undertones, while Papyrus’ tongue was orange and luminescent, like a glow stick.

 

It was just a glimpse she caught, but it was obvious that she wasn’t imagining things, and it answered her previous question about Papyrus drooling when he had fallen asleep against the grocery store… but also, it raised more questions that she didn’t feel appropriate to ask. She had j _ust met_ them, there was no way she could ask such a personal thing right off the bat!

 

Roxy forgot she was staring as she tried to figure out the logistics of skeletons having  _tongues_  on her own and blushing as she tried to NOT imagine what else they might have.

_nope, nope, nopin' my way to Nopetown_

 

Papyrus caught her staring, quirking a brow lazily as he grinned, smirking at her, “Ya know, a picture lasts longer.”

 

Sans looked up from his taco pizza, confused by Papyrus’ statement and Roxy turned red, stuttering in response as she shifted her gaze straight down to her plate.

 

“Sorry! I’m so sorry. Er, on that note however, can I ask a completely personal question?” Roxy asked, as the thought continued to nag at her.

 

“Lemme guess, you wanna know how we skeletons can eat without the food falling out of our bodies?” Papyrus grinned wryly. Not the first time that question had come up, although Chara had admittedly been the first to ask about it.

 

“No!... Yeah.” Roxy chuckled nervously, “I’m sorry, I know it's completely rude.”

 

“Not at all. I mean, _logically_ , from your perspective, that is how it would be. But, uh, we’re not  _normal_  skeletons… which kinda goes without saying,” Papyrus chuckled. “Our magic converts what we eat into more magic. As we ingest food, our magic instantly starts the conversion, so nothing gets wasted." 

 

He tilted his head as he considered Roxy, continuing," Which, _I think_ , is sorta similar to how  _your_  digestion works, except your food is converted into  _energy_ , which is a little different from magic.  _Magic_  is, um, well, I guess the simplest term would be  _spiritual_ , and  _energy_  is  _physical_. One stark difference is that monsters don’t waste  _anything_  that they eat, while you humans can only convert a  _certain_  amount of the food you eat into energy, so, naturally after eating and digesting, you have to go to the bathroom and-“

 

“PAPYRUS-NOT-HERE-AT-THE-DINNER-TABLE!” Sans squawked, covering what Papyrus was about to say.

 

Roxy threw her head back and starting laughing, as her cheeks turned a bright, bright red, “ Oh my GOD, I am SO sorry I asked. Well, no, not really, but also yes?”

 

“It’s Alright, Papyrus Ought To Know Better!” Sans gave his brother the stink eye as he held out the salad bowl, trying to change the subject, “More Salad?”

 

“Sure!”

 

"Huh, can I ask YOU a personal question?" Papyrus queried as he studied her reddened face.

 

"Sure?" Roxy fidgeted as Papyrus chuckled, "I'm just wondering if it's _normal_ for humans to turn that many shades of red that you do."

 

"Oh! W-well, it is for me, normal, I mean. I, uh, I get anxious pretty easily, and I turn red when I do. But, there's other factors that can play into why I turn red." She shrugged, trying to not feel embarrassed about it.

 

"Ah." Pap nodded in understanding as Sans defended, "Well, I Think It's Cu-I-Mean-Cool!" 

 

 _Nice save, bro,_ Papyrus thought to himself as Sans stuffed more pizza in his mouth, avoiding looking at Roxy.

He paused as the realization slapped him in the face _,_ _Sans really likes her... like, really,_ really _likes her... Crap._

 

"Do you guys have any other family?" Roxy asked, blushing a little, "I was just curious, the two of you don't seem that old."

 

"We Have An Older Brother Named Wingdings. He Lives In The Underground At The Moment." Sans replied softly to her question, "We, Uh, We Don't Have Parents Or Any Other Family."

 

"Oh. That's cool that ya'll have an older brother. I'm actually the oldest of my siblings. I have four younger brothers and a little sister." she smiled, "My bros are really good at Smash Bros. They could probably take you, Sans." she grinned.

  

"HA! The Magnificent Sans Never Backs Down From A Challenge!" Sans grinned.

 

Papyrus whistled quietly, "That's a lot of siblings."

 

"Yeah... It's the reason I'm a nanny. I used to practically be their second mom." Roxy admitted, muttering, "I wish I were exaggerating." she looked at them and added, "I'd love for you guys to meet my siblings, they'd love you!"

  

"You don't have to lie." Papyrus cut in quietly, "I know most humans aren't  _thrilled_ about monsters being on the surface."

 

"I'm not lying!" Roxy replied, "Not about this, anyways. I feel certain they'd think you guys are... " she paused and Papyrus opened one of his eyes as he looked at her, waiting.

 

"... I wanted to say a skeleton pun. But, uh, I don't have the stomach for it." Roxy said softly, looking Papyrus right in the face as she deadpanned.

 

Papyrus blinked before snickering, "I've heard that one before, but good delivery."

 

Roxy grinned as Sans groaned, "Oh NO, Not You Too, Roxy!"

 

"That didn't tickle your funny bone?" She cheesed and Sans groaned even louder as she winked and stuck out her tongue, "Aw, c'mon, Sans, don't ya think I'm  _humerus"_

 

Papyrus actually did laugh this time, as Sans shouted, "NO!!! You've Corrupted Her, Pap!"

 

"Naw, I corrupted your  _mom_." Roxy grinned diabolically before clicking her tongue and snapping her fingers, "Gott'em." 

 

"ROXY NO!"

 

"What, YOU can say mom jokes and I can't?!" Roxy giggled as Sans protested, "That Was In The Heat Of The Moment! Besides, _You_ Set It Up So Beautifully For Me, I Couldn't NOT Say It! _Yours_ Was Just Way Too Forced!"

 

"No way, mine was perfect!"

 

"I'm gonna hafta agree with Sans on that one. If you're gonna do something as _tasteless_ as a mom joke, it's gotta be _flawless_. Otherwise, it just sounds offensive and nothing else." Papyrus cut in thoughtfully.

 

"... Well, you're not wrong, I guess," Roxy admitted as she grabbed another slice.

 

"Don't worry. Hang out with us some more, we'll teach you the basics of timing and delivery." Papyrus chuckled.

 

After dinner, Roxy reluctantly realized that it was getting late and she needed to get back home. She couldn’t believe what a good time she had, with Sans and Papyrus, she had just met them yesterday, but they made her feel so comfortable, which was  _not_  something she was used to feeling around others.

 

Sans offered to walk her home, and Roxy honestly couldn’t say no to the hopeful, eager expression on his face.

 

“That was the most fun I’ve had in a while. Sans, thank you so much, for everything. I had a really good time tonight.” She told him seriously, laughing quietly, "It's been so long since I just... relaxed like that."

 

“Me Too.” Sans replied, his cheeks once again dusting blue, “We’ll Have To Do It Again!”

 

“I look forward to getting to know you better.” Roxy grinned, “Even if my job involving Mr. Dreemurr doesn’t work out.”

 

“I Know You’ll Be Magnificent, No Matter What! I Believe In You!” Sans told her seriously, as they stood in front of her house.

 

Those words dug themselves into Roxy’s heart and she honestly felt like she might cry.

 

_I Believe In You._

 

There was an awkward moment, as they looked at each other before Roxy threw her arms around Sans, hugging him tightly, “Text me when you get home, ok?”

 

Surprise filled her, as she had expected there to be some  _give_. It felt like she was hugging a  _body_ , something slightly squishy, and yet tangible. And also firm, like muscles-

 

_OH MY GOD, HOW?! HOW DOES HE FILL OUT HIS CLOTHES?! I HAVE SO MAAAAANY QUESTIONS!!! HE HAS A TONGUE, DOES HE HAVE A BODY?!_

_…_

_ROXY, PLEASE STOP THINKING LIKE THIS, PLEASE, BEFORE YOU THINK SOMETHING YOU REGRE-TOOLATEFFFFUUUUUUU-!_

 

_8~8~8~8~8~8~8~_

 

Sans had stiffened at first, when she wrapped her arms around him, before seeming to melt, wrapping his own arms around Roxy, replying, “Of Course I Will!” in a gentle, reassuring tone.

 

Roxy smiled up at him, cheeks red. “Good! Talk to you soon!”

 

She practically ran inside, her face bright red. At this rate, her head was going to explode from the amount of blood that was constantly rushing there.

 

“You Too! Sleep Tight, Roxy!” Sans called out, stars in his eyes.

 

Sans watched at Roxy went into her house, making sure she was inside, safe and sound, his SOUL thumping a million miles an hour. That hug had come out of nowhere, but it had been...  _nice._  She was _so_ small, her arms barely wrapped around him, and yet, she had such a strong grip!

 

Feeling jittery, he turned on his heel and started walking back to his house. Thoughts spun like a carousel in his head and he felt sweaty- Scratch that, he  _was_  sweaty, cyan-tinged sweat dripping down his skull. He looked up at the sky, seeing the stars shine down, he took a deep breath, trying to logically process what he was _feeling_.

 

Roxy was so  _nice_ … she was so soft, sweet and pretty too! The way she constantly changed shades of cream, pink and red was so fascinating! Her eyes were like-

 

 _Stop It, Sans! She’s Just A Friend! A Platonic Friend! **No Human Could Ever Like You Like**_ **That _, Remember_** _?_

A pang went through him as a flurry of unwelcome memories assaulted him like a swarm of migosp. He timidly turned those unpleasant thoughts away, trying to focus on the good feelings that had been bubbling in him. The anxiety persisted stubbornly and he huffed in frustration.

_It’s Been So Long Since I’ve Had Such Fun, With Someone Outside My Friends And Family. She Doesn’t Treat Me Like I’m A Child, She Treats Me… Like An Equal. And...She… She Really Seems To_ Like _Me, Just As Much As I Like Her._

 Halting just shy of his house, Sans looked up at the sky, chiding himself for how quickly he was becoming attached. 

 

 _It's_ Probably Just _A Crush. It'll Pass With Time, And In The Meanwhile, I Can Get To Know Her. Good Friends Are Hard To Come By, After All. That’s_ All _She Wants From You, You Know.”_

 

Sans grunted as his emotions tangled in a ball of rainbow yarn, excitement, uncertainty and pain intermingling like water and oil and food coloring, vibrant and clear.

 

“Hey Bro. Roxy made it home ok?” Papyrus called out, as Sans closed and locked the door behind him.

 

"Yup." Sans replied, sending Roxy a quick text to let her know he was home.

 

"You two seemed awfully chummy." Papyrus observed shrewdly.

 

"Oh, Er, Yes, We've Hit It Off Rather Well." Sans nodded, his eye-lights morphing briefly into hearts, "You Seem To Like Her Too. You Laugh At Her Jokes."

 

"Eh, she's alright, for a human. I'd rather hold off on my _judgement_ until we've known her a bit longer then a day." Papyrus said pointedly.

 

Sans swallowed hard, "Y-yeah! Me too!" He sweated slightly as he felt Papyrus' searching gaze on him, shifting gears quickly as he observed, "So, You Got Home Really Late Today! What Happened?"

 

"Hmm? Oh, I paid a visit to Wingdings, actually. He said to say hi." Papyrus said softly, thinking back to what his oldest brother had said.

 

_Talk to each other. Be honest._

 

 _..."I had a stressful day at work. It put me in a mood, and I wanted to blow off some steam."_ That's what Papyrus  _wanted_ to say, but he couldn't.

 

Sans chuckled softly, "I Miss Him. Any Luck On That Machine You're Working On?"

 

"Not yet. I'll let you know if I make a breakthrough." Papyrus replied.

 

..."Well, I'd Better Go Clean Up!" Sans turned abruptly as he changed the subject entirely and bustled off to the kitchen.

 

Papyrus sighed, feeling shitty. How _could_ he expect Sans to be honest with him when he couldn't work up the  _nerve_ to be honest himself?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would totally eat a taco pizza. Anyone with me? Also, no, I don't actually like anchovies... at least, not on pizza. *laughs awkwardly*
> 
> Anyways, if you've made it this far, thanks for reading!


	8. Chalk It Up To Destiny

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roxy's Interview Commences!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, in honor of Temmie Chang, I made my Underswap Temmie an Artist. it just seemed like the natural thing to do.

 

 

It’s a funny thing, self-confidence. Some say it’s the feeling you have before you fully understand your situation. It can blind you, or the absence of it can leave you frozen in place, wavering between decisions. Worse still, the lack of self-confidence can leave you with your mind empty, blank, filling you with embarrassed shame as you numbly grasp for straws.

 

Roxy couldn’t remember the last time that she had felt very much self-confidence. There was some that existed in her because she could feel the glow of it when she went running, or did any sort of work-out. Using her body to achieve a goal, no matter how _small_ sparked something pleasant and happy inside her. Ever since she had moved into her childhood home and started living on her own, attending college and working as a nanny, she had felt that spark glow brighter and begin to flourish with each small step she took.

That tender, fragile confidence had been promptly smashed into itty bitty pieces last night, when she had called her mother back, _~~like the good, obedient daughter she was~~_.

 

Her mom had made some small talk with her at first, unloading the problems she was having with her second husband and the court date that her ex-husband was dragging her through. Who the hell sues for having to pay child support after being an abusive prick for 14 years?

 

_He's not even fucking poor, he's a computer programmer for god's sake._

 

“I’m sorry to hear all that mom. I wish I could do something to help.” Roxy murmured into the phone, feeling sorry for her mom and her siblings. In truth, they were biologically her half siblings, but she didn’t care about that and she never brought it up when she talked about them. She loved each and every one of them fiercely, and frankly, she wanted to stab their father for being an _imbecilic, manipulative, narcissistic, monkey turd who didn't deserve to be in their lives_.

 

_Aw, Roxy, that’s not very nice of you._

_Do I look like I give a fuck?_

 

Her feelings of sympathy for her mother and siblings didn’t change as her mom finally dove into the real reason she wanted to talk; to question her daughters judgment, to reproach her for not informing her mother of her near robbery and by the time she had finished, Roxy was near tears, her chest heaving fast and hard as her motives were called into question.

 

 _What do you want me to say, mom? I’m trying, I’m fucking_ t r y i n g  _to BE an adult, I’m trying to stand on my own, without leaning on you for support anymore then I already am. What_ else _do you want from me?_

 

Instead of saying these things, Roxy just weakly apologized and promised to communicate better in the future. But when her mother started questioning _Sans,_ well, Roxy’s attitude changed.

 

“But you don’t know him-“

 

“That’s _why_ I hung out with him today! To get to know him better! He saved me, and he's been nothing but kind and supportive in the _very_ short time that I've known him!” Roxy heard herself snap and promptly clapped a hand over her mouth, shivering.

There was a moment of silence before her mother's heavy sigh filtered into the phone.

“I see you’re too emotional to talk about this properly right now. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for you to get so worked up…. It’s late. I’ll call you tomorrow, when you’ve calmed down, Roxy. Sleep tight.”

 

Yeah right. Roxy didn't fall asleep until it was late into the night,  trying to distract herself from her hollow emotions by watching Let’s Plays on MeTube. And now, as she woke up, far too early again, her mood was sour enough to wither plant life and spoil milk.

 

_I Believe In You!_

Sans’ declaration echoed in her head and she groaned as she put her pillow over her head, feeling unworthy of her friend’s optimism. The fact that a _monster_ she had _just_ met seemed to believe in her more then her _own_ mother plagued her and Roxy cringed in anguished self-doubt.

 

 _Just wait until he really gets to know you, Rox, he’ll find out just how_ pathetic _and_ weak _you are. You’ll be lucky if he sticks around to be your friend_.

 

To make matters even worse… she’d had _another_ dream about her now ex-step father, her mother’s first husband and the father of her siblings.

 

 _Not a nightmare exactly. It’s always the same. The room may be different, circumstances slightly off-kilter from reality, but it’s_ always _the same pattern... it always ends with me_   _running away crying, like the **goddamn coward** I am._

 

She hated that _this_ was her recurring dream. Giving that _rat-bastard_ another _moment_ of her time, _especially_ in her fucking sleep, did NOT sit well with her. And… reliving all her failures wasn’t exactly pleasant either.

 

“Good job, sub-conscience. Way to boost my _fucking_ morale.” She snarled as she ripped the covers off her body and groggily looked at the clock. It was fucking 7:30 am. Great. What a wonderful kickstart to her Saturday.

 

Anger and bitterness brewing, she lurched out of bed, grabbing her phone and ignoring the texts notifications, she put on her music and blared it as loud as she could, to drown out her insecurities and fears.

 

As she went about her morning, she tried to find focus, mentally preparing herself for her day.

 

She had heard so much about Temmie, the last day, that now; just thinking about the impending interview had her stomach somersaulting like a manic acrobat on steroids and cocaine.

 

“Fuck me sideways." she hissed, scratching the back of her head absently. Could she really do this? It was tough dealing with normal human children... would a monster child be the same?

 

_Like you said to Chara... you won't know unless you try._

 

Morosely sipping her coffee and looking over her shoulder at the house, Roxy frowned. Her childhood home was getting a little messy, and with a firm grin, she decided that she would go do some light cleaning before getting ready for her interview. May as well get as much done as possible, right? And besides, it would be good to take out some of her frustration in a positive manner.

 

_I’ll fucking scrub the shit out of this house. At least mom can’t complain that I’m doing a bad job maintaining this place._

 

With that in mind, Roxy finished up her breakfast and coffee, tied her hair back, and turned on her “clean the house” playlist, which was full of music that was feel-good and upbeat, with a good dose of rather cheesy songs, plus the _very_ few country songs that she still actually liked.

 

 _Fuck you, David, for ruining a_ whole _genre for me._

 

An hour and a half later, the floors were swept, dirty clothes were washing, and Roxy was picking up trash around the house and putting it in the wastebasket, feeling better and better the cleaner the house got.

 

She was jamming out to one of her favorite songs, holding the broom like a microphone as she howled fervently, “ _It’s gonna take a lot to take me awaaaay from youuuuu! There’s nothing that a hundred men or more could ever dooooo_ -“

 

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

 

Roxy dropped the broom in shock. _Fuck._ She hit pause on her music before cautiously going to the door and peering through the window.

 

Her cheeks flushed and her heart thumped loudly. It was Sans!

 

She panicked, running in a quick circle briefly; _I’m all gross looking! Oh no!_ _God, this is just not my day, is it? Fuck!_

By some miracle, she managed to compose herself and opened her door.

“Hi Sans! This is a pleasant surprise!”

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~

 

Sans pulled up to Roxy’s house, feeling slightly worried as he turned off the engine to his motorcycle. He had tried to text her about her backpack, but she hadn’t responded, and he knew that she probably needed whatever was inside the dingy thing.

_Why Didn't She Text Back Though? I Hope I Didn't Hurt Her Feelings Yesterday... But That Doesn't Seem Likely, She Joked With Me As Much As I Did With Her._

 

Mustering up his courage, he walked up the sidewalk to her door and paused, as music blared through the door’s barrier. Sans chuckled slightly, as he heard the beloved song, and what must have been Roxy singing along to it, off-key and boisterously joyful.

 

With a nervous smile, he quickly knocked on the door, hoping she would hear him.

A loud noise, like something had been dropped, and then the music was abruptly silenced. Her door opened and there she was, looking sweaty, flushed and dressed in comfy, baggy clothes, a few smudges of dust and dirt on her face.

 

He felt his SOUL thump, as she smiled at him in her greeting.

 

_How Can Such A Messy-Looking Human BE So Adorable?!_

 

“I Tried Texting You, But You Didn’t Answer, But I Can See You Are Busy, Which Explains Why You Didn’t Respond!” Sans laughed ( _Stop Being So Nervous!)_ , as he scratched the back of his skull with one gloved hand.

 

“Oh, I’m sorry. Yeah, I’ve been cleaning all morning. Wanna come in?” Roxy asked, laughing a little, “My house is actually presentable today, unlike _me_ at the moment.”

 

“I Would Love To, But, I Can’t, I’m On My Way To Work. I Just Wanted To Give You Your Backpack! You Left It At My House Last Night.” Sans explained as he held the backpack out to her carefully, smiling ruefully.

 

“Oh thank you! Oh my gosh, I didn’t even realize I had left it behind!” Roxy laughed nervously as she took the offered bag, “Wow, you saved me … _again_!” She looked at him with flushed cheeks and shining eyes and Sans felt his SOUL thump again.

 

“Oh, It’s No Big Deal! I Also Wanted To Wish You Luck With Your Interview! I Think You’re Gonna Be Great!” Sans replied with a shy smile and squinting sockets, giving her two thumbs up.

 

Roxy blushed and looked down, her expression soft, “Thanks Sans. I’ll text you when I leave, let you know how it goes.”

 

“Alright! Welp, I Better Get Going! See You Later, Roxy!” Sans grinned as he waved, turning to walk away. Roxy smiled, her eyes widening as she saw the big, beautiful blue motorcycle parked at the curb.

 

She blinked before exclaiming, “Is that YOUR motorcycle?”

 

“Oh, Yes! Do You Like It?” Sans grinned proudly and fondly. His bike was one of the best things that he had purchased since being on the surface and riding it was in his top five favorite things to do. He had an intense interest in BMX biking, Mountain Biking, Dirt Biking… but hadn’t had an opportunity yet to try any of these things.

 

_(Someday Soon, I Will!)_

 

The look in Roxy’s eyes as she took in the sight of his pride and joy made him flush with happiness. Most people were skeptical, about the safety of his motorcycle, so her admiring gaze was extremely refreshing and flattering.

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

“It’s so _pretty_! Wow. That is so _awesome_!” Roxy laughed, her eyes twinkling. She didn’t have a vehicle… yet. She was saving up to buy one, and almost had enough for a down payment.

_I can't wait until I can drive on my own, too. That would be another game changer._

 

“Thank You!” Sans replied, grinning,” I’ll Have To Take You For A Ride Sometime!... I Mean If You Want!” he added quickly, trying to cover his embarrassment, “Well, I Have To Go! Let Me Know How The Interview Goes!”

 

“I will! Have a good day at work, Sans!” Roxy replied cheerfully, her spirit buoyed.

 

“Thank You!” Sans chuckled as he straddled the large bike, placing a navy blue helmet with a dark visor over his head. He started up the bike and waved to her one more time before pulling away.

 

Roxy’s heart stuttered at the sight of him, he was just _so_ cool! Seeing him take off like that…. _Oh god_ , _her heart was thumping audibly._

 

She took a few deep breaths before hoisting her backpack over her shoulder and going back inside, checking the time, she nodded.

 

Time to get ready to go… and to try _to not think_ about how _good_ Sans had looked on that motorcycle.

 

 _Can you_ be _anymore shallow, Roxy?_

_..._

_We both KNOW that I can._

 

A quick shower later, Roxy was dressed in her typical clothes she wore when working as a nanny- jeans, a plain black t-shirt that wouldn’t stain easily, and no jewelry to get in her way or makeup that would run if she got sweaty, which she inevitably _would,_  or wet from water.

 

 _Learned that the hard way,_ she thought with a chuckle, remembering last year when Tommy had sprayed her with the garden hose while they were doing a gardening project. Wearing makeup, even the tiny amount she had applied, had been a _mistake_ that day. she had gone home looking like a bedraggled raccoon.

 8~8~8~8~8~8~

Flashback

 _Spluttering, Roxy stumbled towards Tommy and stole the hose from him, giggling as he backed up, "Wait, don't-!" She sprayed him and he took off running, shouting,_ _"You can't do that!"_

_"I can and I am!" She had laughed back, chasing him all over the yard and promptly tripping over some of the hose. He had swooped in when she fell with a splat, and stolen the hose back, spraying her full on in the face._

_"Hey no fair!" she grabbed another part of the hose and pinched it, shutting off the flow of water._

_"Stop! What did you do?!" He demanded, looking at the hose. She giggled as she let the hose go and he got a face full of water. Spluttering, he turned the hose back at her and she took off running, teasing and giggling._

_They’d both ended up soaked and laughing at the end of the day. Tommy had spent all his energy outside and was miraculously too tired to cause his usual trouble with his sisters. When his mother lent Roxy a dry t-shirt and tried apologizing, Roxy waved it off cheerfully, saying that the water had felt refreshing for the hot summer day that it was. As the summer went on, the garden had flourished, thanks to Tommy's exuberant watering._  

End flashback

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~

“Welp, I guess this is it.”

 

Grabbing her nanny-emergency bag, (which had a basic first aid kit, a towel, a change of clothes, her swimsuit and a few of her favorite childhood books. It also held a bottle of bubbles, a box of chalk and a package of water balloons) she quickly ran through her mental checklist before nodding.

 

“No more stalling. Let's do this.”

 

Roxy locked up the house and set out to Asgore’s house, walking quickly and briskly as she glanced at her phone, inputting the address and marveling as she realized that Asgore and his family were _literally_ across the street from Sans and Papyrus’s house. Amazing!

 

 _I really hope this works out, it would save me so much time and money, them living so close! Fuck, I'm so nervous._ Taking a deep breath, she checked the time. One minute early. Good.

 

For a moment, she was stuck debating on whether to ring the doorbell or to knock on the GIANT door. She sweated and got so anxious that by the time she decided to ring the doorbell, it was a minute past and she berated herself for being so timid.

 

A sound of thudding footsteps and the door swung wide open. Roxy blinked before she realized with a flush of embarrassment that she was staring into the _waist_ of her potential employer.

 

Quickly, she looked up. Asgore was HUGE. His frame filled the entire doorway, which was a larger-then-normal-door to begin with.

 

Her eyes widened as he smiled down at her, revealing sharp fangs in his kind face, and right away, she could see the resemblance to Asriel.

 

“Howdy! You must be Roxy.”

 

“Hello Asgore, it’s a pleasure to speak with you in person!” Roxy smiled, reaching out her hand to shake his, which was immediately _engulfed_ by his ginormous paw/hand?

 

“It is nice to meet you as well! Please, come on in! Chara and Temmie are upstairs right now, but don't worry, they'll be down when lunch is ready. You can meet the two of them then.”

 

Roxy’s stomach grumbled audibly atthe mention of food and she turned red and chuckled awkwardly, "Excuse me. My stomach likes to make whale impression at the weirdest moments."

 

Asgore chuckled, “Don’t worry, I’m making enough lunch for all of us! Now, do you have any questions?”

 

“Er, yes, a few.”

 

Roxy proceeded to ask about Asgore’s occupation (he was studying to become a pediatrician, but was already working at a hospital, as he had a knack for healing magic), Chara and Temmie’s ages and hobbies (Chara, 14, loved reading and writing and Temmie –Asgore wasn’t sure but guessed she was about 16-was an blooming artist with a knack for trivia games).  

“I don’t expect you to clean up after the children, they are both old enough to do that. Temmie will need help with her schooling, but that will mostly involve light supervision, to make sure she gets it done and is given any assistance she needs. If you can empty the dishwasher and reload it when you have time; that would be excellent. And Temmie will need lunch and snacks, but Chara and I will give her breakfast and dinner.”

 

Asgore paused as a thought occurred to him and he added, with some measure of pain to his voice,” Also, something you should know is that I… share custody of Asriel with my ex-wife, Toriel. He is away with her this weekend, and he normally stays with her unless he requests to visit here. He will be here next weekend and a few days the week after that. You'll see him periodically, but you won't have to worry about caring for anyone other then Temmie. Oh! I nearly forgot, I know your profile didn't list weekends as an available work day for you, but do you suppose you could make an exception on occasion, if I let you know a week or two in advance?”

 

"Actually, yes, I can do that." Roxy nodded, "I generally use the weekends to work on homework and do my errands, but I can shuffle stuff around to make that work. In this case, would I be watching Temmie, Chara _and_ Asriel if he is home?"

 

"That is correct. Will that be a problem?" Asgore asked, looking slightly worried, but Roxy quickly shook her head, "Not at all! I can _definitely_ handle three kids!" 

 

Relieved, Asgore let go of a breath he didn't even realize he was holding, "That is good to know.”

 

Roxy watched as Asgore finished making seven grilled cheese sandwiches, as well as a pot of tomato soup, which smelled _amazing_.

 

_Were all monsters amazingly good cooks? Was it because of their magic?..._

_…Was that a racist question?_

 

Asgore laughed lightly as they vaguely heard Chara and Temmie arguing upstairs, murmuring, “I really… Don’t know all that much about Temmie, to be perfectly honest. Naturally, however, I couldn’t turn down Chara’s request to take in Temmie, but… that young lady can be _extremely_ difficult to talk to. She is very stubborn and her sarcasm is enough to match that of my friend, Papyrus. Oh, speaking of which, I heard that you met our friends across the street?”

 

“Oh yes! They… they may have saved my life, and they prevented me from getting robbed.” Roxy admitted softly.

 

“That sounds just like them,” Asgore chuckled softly, “They are the best of monsters, and extremely good friends of ours.”

 

“I’ve really enjoyed getting to know both of them.” Roxy agreed.

 

“They are often over for visits, as they are both close to Chara. You might run into them in the mornings, since they like to take turns walking with Chara to school. They will also occasionally pick Chara up from school, in which case you will definitely seem them then, as well as three other friends of mine, Alphys, Undyne and Napstaton. Sans gets along with Temmie just fine, but Papyrus… not so much, which is a little surprising, since he can tolerate just about anything and anyone.”

 

“Huh… I’d say he needs thicker skin, but he doesn’t even have any.” Roxy grinned as Asgore howled with laughter, “Ho-ho-ho, Good one!”

 

 _So he like puns too. No wonder he and Papyrus get along._ Roxy thought to herself, happy that she was able to think of the pun on the spot.

 

The food was ready by this time and Asgore called up, “Chara! Temmie! Time for lunch! Come and meet Roxy!”

 

There was only one pair of footsteps that echoed down the hall. Roxy’s stomach twisted nervously but she put on a smile, just about ready for….

Any…

 

Thing.

 

…

 

Chara was carrying a large, strange looking doll in her arms. It was overall white and grey, in the shape of a small, cute dog with both dog and cat-ears and a fluffy mane of dark gray hair. It wore a striped yellow and blue shirt.

 

But this isn’t what had Roxy’s rapt attention.

 

Chara smiled widely, “S’up, Roxy?”

 

“Hi Chara, it’s nice to see you again!” Roxy smiled, her eyes still on the doll, which was _moving and blinking._

_It was alive._

 

The doll’s eyes were locked onto her, and it’s mouth stretched into a cute grin as it spoke in a feminine, happy-go-lucky tone.

 

“So! _This_ is Weenis McWeiner-face! Nice to meet you! I’m Temmie!”

 

Roxy’s face turned red and she laughed nervously, totally unnerved.

Oh….right…. Temmie knew about the _weenis incident._

 

_Fuck my life, I forgot. Welp, better embrace the consequences of my words._

“Temmie, c’mon, I already told you that a  _weenis_ is _completely_ different from a _wiener_! And also, that’s rude to call her that.” Chara scolded as Temmie laughed daintily, “Aw, but it’s such a catchy name, Chara!”

 

Roxy smirked, recovering from her embarrassment, she closed the gap and replied directly to Temmie, “It may be a catchy name, but sadly, it’s not mine. I’m Roxy Mcbridgette, actually. It’s nice to finally meet you, Temmie.” And she held out her hand to shake Temmie’s paw.

 

Temmie just looked at her and grinned, revealing some sharp fangs in her otherwise adorable face as she sneered, “We’ll see about that.” Roxy shrugged as she put her hand down.

 

“Now, now, let’s all sit down and eat.” Asgore finally broke in, with a slightly stern look to Temmie. He was honestly at his wits end with her.

 

Chara carried Temmie to a special seat at the table, specially designed so she could sit and reach the table with little difficulty. Roxy sat between Chara and Asgore, right across from Temmie.

 

“So, Roxy, you are in college? What are you studying?” Asgore questioned cheerfully.

 

“I, um, I’m studying English and education. I’m hoping to become a teacher, so, my experience as a nanny won’t go to waste.” Roxy laughed lightly.

 

“English? How boring!” Temmie snorted, “You’re just about as _vanilla_ as they come, huh, Weenis McWeiner?”

 

“Pfft, what do you have against vanilla? Vanilla is _delicious!_ ” Roxy raised a brow, quirking a teasing grin as she brushed off the light insult. That was new.

 

Temmie grinned nastily, but paused as Chara flicked her on the ear, “Be nice, Tem.”

 

“I didn’t say anything that wasn’t a _lie.”_ Temmie muttered defensively, rubbing her ear and giving Chara the stink eye.

 

Roxy let the question go as she asked Chara, “So, do you have any ideas on what you’re gonna do in the future? As a job, I mean?”

 

“Well, I kinda already have a career as the Ambassador of Monsters.” Chara laughed, “But, aside from that, I’d love to keep doing whatever it takes for me to travel. Whether that’s to continue doing politics, or being a stewardess in an airplane, I’m not sure yet.” Chara grinned.

 

“Cool.” Roxy agreed. “What about you, Temmie? Career plans?”

 

“I’m gearing up to be the next infamous serial killer.” Temmie replied in a deadpan.

 

There was a slight silence that followed, with Asgore softly putting a hand to his forehead in exasperation and apparent resignation. 

 

“Cool, but I think you’ve already messed up. You’re not supposed to tell people your occupation if you choose to become a serial killer. You have to have a _cover-up_ occupation.” Roxy replied with a chuckle and a wink.

 

Temmie frowned. Usually, that was enough to get them to leave rather abruptly.

_What the heck's wrong with this one?_

 

“I heard you like to draw, and I just so happened to have brought some chalk with me. If you’d like, after lunch, we can all do some sidewalk art.” Roxy smiled cheerfully.

 

Temmie shrugged, “Eh, whatever, Weenis McWeiner.”

 

“C’mon, Tem, that’s getting old! Don’t be so _boring._ ” Chara complained with a roll of her eyes. Usually, Temmie was much more creative with her insults and vague threats, but right now, she was just being _annoying_.

 

“I’ve been called worse, if you can believe it.” Roxy laughed awkwardly as she scratched her nose and giggled, “Probably the worst name I’ve been called, as a nanny, is ‘Smelly Old Vagina’. I’ll take being called ‘Weenis’ over ‘Vagina’ any day.”

 

Chara blinked before snickering, “A _kid_ called you that?!”

 

“Yeah… his mom taught him the anatomically correct names for human privates. In my personal opinion, that was… uh, not the best idea, since he was such a blunt, vocal little troublemaker, but hey, I'm not a mom. I did find it kinda funny, buuuuut I didn’t want him to think that it was ok to call people names, so I had to hide my amusement. Not an easy thing to do.”

 

Temmie had gone quiet, as Asgore and Chara conversed with Roxy, casting sideways glances at the human girl periodically as her mind ticked. So far, her usual tactics weren’t working and it was annoying the heck out of her.

 

When lunch was over, Asgore insisted on doing the dishes, suggesting that they go outside and play, as it was a nice day. Chara didn’t carry Temmie this time, instead allowing the small living doll to follow her outside.

 

“I hate going outside!” Temmie complained.

 

“But you love swinging!” Chara countered easily, scooping Temmie up casually and placing her on the swing in their backyard, which was out of reach for the doll.

 

Roxy glanced around the backyard in awe. There was a sprawling flower garden, an herb garden, and the yard was neatly cut and tidy. The swing set was the only play equipment out and Roxy had to whistle, “Man, this is a great backyard.”

 

Chara pushed Temmie on the swing, looking over at Roxy, she gestured to the empty swings.

“You can sit on the other swing if you’d like.”

 

“Thanks, but, um, I think I’m too heavy.” Roxy protested with an embarrassed chuckle. She was always cautious about using children’s playground equipment.

 

Chara grinned back, “Naw, I don’t think so. These swings were designed by my friend Undyne, they’ll even hold up Dad! And there’s no WAY you’re heavier then him!”

 

“Oh.” Roxy blinked in surprise, looking over the swing set more closely. Now that she was studying it, it actually DID look really sturdy... and futuristic too... Was Undyne an engineer?

 

“However, if you don’t _want_ to swing, you just have to say so. I won’t force you.” Chara winked.

 

“It’s fine if you don’t feel _comfortable_ swinging with a _monster_!” Temmie smirked, looking over at Roxy with an unreadable expression.

 

Roxy shook her head as she met Tem’s gaze with a soft grin and a wink, going ahead and taking the other seat, “Who wouldn’t wanna swing next to a cutie-pie like you?”

 

Temmie’s look seemed to falter a little as Chara changed the subject, “So, Roxy, you have family?”

 

“Yeah. A mom, four brothers and a sister. Uh, I’ve got two step-brothers too, but… I’m not… I’m not close to them… or my stepdad.” Roxy replied, her voice dropping in shame as she mentioned her stepfamily.

 

“Four brothers? _And_ a sister? Dang, that’s a lot.” Chara whistled.

 

“So I've heard. I’m the oldest. My brothers are in assorted high school and middle school. My mom is homeschooling my sister.” Roxy explained matter-of-factly.

 

“I see. Do you live with them?” Chara asked curiously.

 

“Not exactly. I’m renting a house that my mom owns, maintaining it while I go to school and work. She and my other siblings live with her husband on his property, on the outskirts of the city. He, uh, he’s a cattle rancher.”

 

“Cool.” Chara nodded.

 

Temmie snorted, “How old are you? You don’t look _that_ old.”

 

“Guess.” Roxy had a playful grin.

 

Temmie scowled as she stared at the thick girl, quirking her face in a manner that Roxy found both cute and creepy simultaneously, “16?”

 

“Nope.”

 

“20?”

 

“Strike two.”

 

“… 35.”

 

Roxy snorted with laughter.

 

“Sorry, but no. Give up?”

 

“No, but go ahead.” Temmie grumped, looking up at Roxy with a scowl.

 

“23.” Roxy admitted, deciding it was best not to point out that by allowing her to say how old she was Temmie _was_ actually giving up. Details, details, it didn’t matter, although Roxy did take this to store into her memory bank, sure that it would be important later.

 

Chara looked surprised, “You seriously only look a few years older then me, like 16 or 17.”

 

“Yeah, I get that a lot. My mom’s the same way. We’re often mistaken for sisters.” Roxy nodded. “Oh! I almost forgot, I brought chalk! Wanna draw?”

 

“Sure!” Chara nodded, Temmie giving a stiff nod, “Fine… I was feeling motion sick anyways.”

 

Roxy grabbed the chalk from her bag and they settled on the sidewalk out front.

 

A period of silence ensued, as the three individuals settled into their drawing.

 

Roxy drew a rather goofy looking dragon with a pan of cookies in its arms.

 

Chara drew some beautiful graffiti-like art, beautiful typography that spelled out, “Stay Determined", with green vines and leaves curling around the letters.

 

When Roxy was done, she glanced over at Temmie’s artwork and gasped.

 

“Oh my gosh! That is _amazing_!”

 

Temmie had drawn a gorgeous, cavernous landscape, full of blue, luminescent-looking flowers. Roxy felt her heart pull and tug at the beautiful sight; it was so stunning!

 

“I didn’t even know you could _do_ that with chalk!” she whispered reverently.

 

Temmie grunted as she looked down at her handiwork before shrugging and wiping it away with her paw, “It’s garbage.”

 

Roxy stared blankly. “You… you didn’t want to leave it up?”

 

“Nope, especially since _you_ seemed to like it so much.” Temmie smirked.

 

Roxy cocked her head and shrugged.

 

“Well, ok. Your drawing, your choice; although I don’t think you should let what _others_ think affect your own view on your art.”

 

Temmie stared at her. That was definitely _not_ the reaction she had been hoping to get.

 

“Heh, I like your dragon, Roxy.” Chara chuckled at the dragon with the cookies.

 

“Thanks, Chara!” Roxy grinned. “You have beautiful typography, Chara!”

 

“Aw, thanks. Papyrus is teaching me.”

 

“Oh really?” Roxy asked in surprise.

 

“Yeah, he’s a pretty good artist himself.”

 

“That’s awesome! I didn’t know that.” Roxy grinned.

 "Chara!" Asgore called from the house, and Chara stood up, "I'll be right back guys."

 

Temmie looked at Roxy, who was fondly adding some more details to her chalk drawing.

"Your dragon really sucks." she smirked. 

 

"I know." Roxy laughed, as she looked at her picture, " He really does. If I was as good an artist as you, I would have made a  _fortune_ by now!" She chuckled.

 

Temmie grumbled, "I doubt that."

 

"No, hear me out, I like to write stories for kids, right? but I can't draw to save my life! So i have all these kid's stories that are  _begging_ to be published, but no art to go with them! It's tragoc as  _heck."_ Roxy giggled as she sat back on her heels, looking at Temmie with cheerful eyes.

 

Temmie hated her and made up her mind that, if Chara and Asgore  _dared_ to hire this smiling idiot, she would do her best to make life  _hell_ for her.

_You'd better PRAY you don't get hired, Weenis Girl._

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

"How is it going out there?" Asgore asked, a little anxiously.

 

"I think you should give her a chance." Chara nodded, adding softly in surprise, "She's responded really positively so far, and she seems sincere." Chara sighed, stressed as she added, "If she can at least hold out here until I'm in highschool, then that would be great. Temmie and I could go to highschool together then, and we won't have to worry about hiring a caretaker anymore."

 

"Hmm... very well, my child. Do you mind collecting them, and I shall break the news?" Asgore smiled in relief.

 

Chara nodded with a quick grin, "You got it, Dad!"

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~

 

 

As Roxy walked home, her heart was stuttering in absolute happiness. She had been hired! She was going to start out the following Monday! She giggled to herself as she skipped a little, humming and jaunting in joy. Temmie didn't even seem that bad! Sure, she was rude, and a little unpleasant, but she could handle that no problem!

Roxy was looking forward to working for the kind, fatherly King of monsters and his strange little family.

 _Like my family. We’re strange, but ok. Mostly._ She laughed softly to herself as she pondered her own family briefly.

 

Her four brothers… she really missed them. And her sister had been really upset when she moved out.

 

_I’ll have to go visit them soon._

She shuddered at the thought however and quickly shook her head.

_Then again, maybe I can just invite them over to my house. We could have a sleep-over.”_

She stopped short, her eyes widening, as she arrived at her house. Her mom’s car was parked in the driveway, it was packed with her oldest brother, Tristan's, stuff, like someone was moving in. Not only that...  _his_ truck was there. Full of her oldest brother’s things.

 

No one was outside, so she wasn't seen as she quickly backed up, her heart palpitating as she ran the other way, as far down the sidewalk as she could go, quickly ducking out of sight.

 

_FUCK! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! I don’t want to SEE HIM WHY IS **HE** THERE?!?!?! HE'S IN MY HOUSE, LOOKING AT MY STUFF. FUCK._

She took deep breaths, as she tried to calm herself, her anxiety going into full panic mode anyway.

 

“Roxy? Are You Ok?”

 

_Fuck._

She looked up standing abruptly from the bush she had been crouched behind, sweating, red, and hyperventilating.

 

_Fucking of course._

 

It was Sans.

 

_...This is it. THIS is how I die._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No one:  
> Me: *flips table* Let the shenanigans commence! ♪~ ᕕ(ᐛ)ᕗ 
> 
> A side note, the "Smelly Old Vagina" story is true. That happened to me, and I still crack up about it to this day.
> 
> ALSO, just in case, the song lyrics are from Africa, by Toto. I mean, I think it's pretty obvious, BUT LET IT NEVER BE SAID that I plagiarize.


	9. Oh Brother!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get weird... and awkward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So apparently, this is gonna be a long story. Everything I have in mind seems to be taking forever to write. But! I'm having too much fun to quit, so here we are.

 

Sans was on his way home from work, grinning quietly to himself as he leaned into the wind. He always felt quite cheerful after work, but his Saturday classes were his favorites, and today, he felt particularly exuberant. The students that came on Saturday were outgoing and friendly and he found it easier to instruct and converse with them. Some of his weekly regulars were just so much more reserved.

 

_I Guess They’re Still Not Used To Me… Or They Just Don’t Like Me Very Much. I Suppose That’s Not Surprising, I Am A Little Strange, Compared To Other Monsters._

His smile faltered briefly before picking back up, a little ruefully, _At Least That Doesn’t Stop Them From Being There!_

 

As Sans passed Roxy’s house, he was surprised to see the middle-aged lady who had answered the door the day before (she looked so much like Roxy, she had to be a relative) and two young men. They were moving furniture and boxes into the house.

 

_Huh… Is Someone Moving In? With Roxy?_

 

He slowed down dramatically, as he caught sight of the woman in question, running like death was on her heels from her house and ducking down behind a bush.

 

_Roxy? Is She Ok?!_

 

Sans hesitated only briefly before pulling up next to the sidewalk, quickly putting his motorcycle in park.

 

It was indeed Roxy. She was flushed, her breathing was quick and panicked and she seemed to be shivering.

 

Sans took off his helmet and approached, calling gently, “Roxy? Is Everything Ok?”

 

She looked up at him with a panicked expression, standing straight up.

 

“Sans! Yes I’m _fantastic_! Also, hello! I didn’t, uh, I didn’t see you there!” She grinned awkwardly, as she tried to control her breathing, her cheeks red and her eyes shifting away from his face.

 

“I, Uh, Was Just Going Back Home From Work. I Don’t Mean To Pry, But, Why Are You Hiding Behind That Bush? Are You _Really_ Ok?” he asked in a quieter tone, his expression softening with compassion.

 

Roxy nodded furiously before pausing and swallowing hard.

 

“I am ok… I, uh, I got the job with Asgore!”

 

Sans grinned, feeling slightly relieved, “I Knew You Would!”

_So Why Are You Hiding And Acting Like Something Is Terribly Wrong?_

 

“Heh, yeah, well, I was walking home and… Well, there’s no easy way to say this… my ex-boyfriend is at my house. So is my mom, and I think one of my brothers? I didn’t stick around to find out. Because I really don’t want to see that douchebag.” She muttered that last bit. “I don’t even know why he’s there, the last time I spoke with him, HE told ME to stay away from _him_.”

 

“Wait, They Just Showed Up At Your House? Without Telling You?” Sans frowned, confused.

 

“My mom probably texted me, but I haven’t looked at my phone since the interview.” Roxy had calmed down by now and pulled out her phone to look. Sure enough, she did have some texts.

 

“Still, That’s Not Very Polite, To Just-”

 

“It’s… It’s not a big deal, it’s HER house.” Roxy murmured, interrupting as she hugged herself with one arm.

 

“But YOU’RE Living There. Are You Paying Rent?” The large skeleton questioned gently.

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Then She Could At Least Give You Plenty Of Head’s Up Before Just Showing Up At Your House, Especially If She’s With Undesirable Company!” Sans frowned thoughtfully.

 

“…I mean, you’re not wrong.” Roxy muttered resentfully after a reluctant moment. She liked Sans, but she was supremely annoyed that he was right.

 

“Oh man.” Roxy frowned as her phone dinged at her and she looked at the message with a pained expression, “My mom’s asking where I am… God, I _really_ don’t want to go home right now.” Roxy groaned as she put a hand to her forehead, still unable to look at Sans.

 

Sans shuffled his feet, wanting to help but unsure of  _how._ He had so many questions, something wasn't adding up here, but he didn't want to call her out on it, after all, she didn't owe him any explanations. Still... what to do now?

 

… “If You Want, You Can Come Hang Out At My House, Until Your… Until The, Uh, Douchebag Leaves.” Sans offered, “OR! BETTER YET! I Can Take You To Grillby’s! In Honor Of Your New Job, My Treat!” He grinned excitedly, suddenly swept up in a sudden brainstorm.

 

Roxy opened her mouth to accept but paused. That sounded _so good._ WAAAAY better then going to confront her ex and her family. What was her mom and Tristan doing there anyways? But as she opened her mouth to say yes, her conscience tugged at her, silencing her acceptance.

 

 _I’m a fucking adult… I_ can’ _t keep avoiding unpleasant situations like this. I need to suck it up and be a fucking MAN… Er, Woman. Oh goddamn it._

 

“I, ah geez, Sans. You have no idea how much I wanna say yes… But I can’t keep running from this. I need to go and just face up to my fucking reality. Besides, maybe he’s not even there. Maybe they just borrowed his truck. Although I don’t think that’s likely, since he would never let anyone else drive that stupid thing.” She muttered reluctantly.

 

Sans’ shoulders visibly sagged and Roxy quickly put up her hands with a panicked expression as he deflated in front of her, “P-please don’t think it’s you! Believe me, I would RATHER hang out with you then go and confront whatever the heck is waiting there for me.”

 

“No, No, It’s Ok. I Understand. You’re Being Responsible, And I Respect That!” Sans chuckled ruefully, looking away and at the ground as he went on, “I Am Disappointed, But I Can’t Continue To Be Selfish!“

 

“Selfish? What do you mean?” Roxy frowned.

 

“Mweh-Heh, Well, I HAVE Been Hogging Your Time, Ever Since I Met You, I Can't Keep You From-” Sans murmured.

 

“Pardon my French, but you haven’t been hogging _shit,_ Bone Boy.” Roxy interjected, snapping a little as she bristled at his self-reproach, “You’ve been nothing but _awesome_ and _wonderful_ and- Fucking geez Louise.” She muttered, scratching the back of her neck and shaking her head, “Sans, look, I _mean_ it when I say that I think you’re _awesome_. I _like_ hanging out with you, and I honestly can’t _wait_ until the next time. But, as you said, I gotta go and take care of my responsibilities.”

 

Sans felt his skull heat up, with each genuine compliment she threw at him, and he swallowed slightly and spoke quickly, before his courage could fail him.

 

“P-Perhaps Later This Week? I Mean… My Offer To Take You For A Treat At Grillby’s Still Stands! You Got The Job And You At Least Deserve A Sweet Treat! W-we Could Celebrate Your First Week On The Job Too!”

 

Roxy paused, her eyes widening before she smiled, her eyes shining and her expression relaxing, “I’d love that. How about next Saturday?”

 

“Sure!” Sans nodded vigorously,” Can I Pick You Up At Noon?”

 

“Sounds great. Looking forward to it!” Roxy smiled. Sans' smile exploded over his face, his pupils bursting into stars as he laughed, "I AM TOO!" He covered his mouth, as his volume rose before chuckling slightly, adding in a quieter tone, "Well, I’d Better Get Home. Paps Is Probably Wondering Where I Am!”

 

“Tell the old boy I said hello.” Roxy chuckled as Sans nodded.

 

The tall skelly hesitated before adding seriously, “If… If You Need ANYTHING… I’m Just A Text Away!”

 

Roxy giggled, seeming to be much more cheerful, in light of her circumstances, “You’ll be the first person I call. Bye Sans.”

 

She stepped onto the sidewalk, moving away from her place of hiding, as she turned towards her house and resolutely started walking, turning only once to wave at Sans.

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

  

 _Goddamnit, I hate this. I hate remembering, I hate feeling like this…_ Papyrus brushed honey-coated pop tart crumbs off his jacket as he staggered into the house, exhausted and grumpy.

It had been a long day for the “old boy” Papyrus.

 

After hours and hours of running through various equations, quantum theories and simulations, he teleported back up into the house, finished with life.

 

“Nothing’s working! FUCK!” he growled as he slouched into his armchair, putting a hand to his forehead in exasperation. “Maybe I should ask Undyne for help again… she might see something I don’t…”

 

He was just starting to drift off when there was a knock at the door, disrupting his depressive and enraged state and Chara’s face appeared at the front window, grinning as she mushed her face against the glass, making weird, gross faces at him as she spoke, her lips pushing weirdly at the glass, “Paaaaaap, lemme in!”

 

Papyrus allowed himself to let go of his frustration as he chuckled at Chara’s antics. With some effort, he heaved himself to his feet and slouched to the door, opening it up for her.

 

“S’up, kiddo?” He looked down at her with a smirk.

 

“Did you hear? Roxy got the job. She starts Monday.”

 

Papyrus blinked in surprise, “Huh… that’s funny. She actually withstood a couple of hours with that brat?” Papyrus chucked as he went back to his armchair and threw himself into it, Chara closing the door behind her as she followed him in.

“Yeah… I’m a little worried though. Temmie seems pretty determined to add another notch to her belt.” Chara replied, perching on the arm of the couch.

 

Papyrus winced and grumbled. “Uh, don’t use that analogy again, please. At least, not in reference to Temmie.”

 

Chara grinned, “She’s calling Roxy ‘Weenis McWeiner-face’.”

 

“Pfft, that’s mature.” Papyrus chuckled,” That little snot sure is stubborn.”

 

“Yeah. To be honest, I kinda feel bad for the poor girl. She seems so nice… a little _too_ nice, you know? Like… more of the push-over over type. I don’t really know how long she’ll last. There have been tougher caretakers that have quit within a few hours of _knowing_ Temmie.”

 

“That’s what I said.” Papyrus agreed. “So Asgore’s pretty desperate huh?”

 

“Temmie’s… not doing well on her own.” Chara admitted, worry etching onto her face as she added, “It’s not like she would burn the house down, and she can get stuff for herself just fine… but I’ve talked to dad about it, and we’ve both agreed that, until I can go to high school with her, she needs someone to look after her.”

 

“I take it she doesn’t agree with that notion, huh?” Papyrus spoke without opening his sockets.

 

“Of course not. She’s too stubborn to admit to something like that. Next year will ne different though. I’ll be in high school, and I can keep an eye on her.”

 

“No offense, but even with you there to keep an eye on her… I don’t think it’s gonna make much of a difference. She doesn’t have a soul, and she’s not like you, Chara.” Papyrus said flatly.

 

“I have to try, Pap. I know she’s still a good person inside.” Chara replied firmly as she let herself flop onto the couch, her legs over the arm. “Where’s Sans, by the by?” Chara frowned, “Isn’t he usually home by now?

 

“Oh, yeah… he’s probably caught in traffic or something. And speaking of Sans…” Papyrus grumbled, his expression shifting.

 

“What’s happened with him now? More people getting on his case for being a cinnamon roll?” Chara asked with a hint of unpleasantness in her face.

 

“Oh, no, it’s not that. He’s been doing pretty well, lately, now that you mention it. No, it’s… something else.” Papyrus leaned back as he looked up at the ceiling.

 

“I think Sans has a crush on Roxy. He’s insisting he just wants to be friends… but last night, he washed the _same_ dish for 10 minutes straight while being absolutely silent. A little excessive, even for Sans, you know? He’s been super distracted, and unfocused, which, as you well-know, is very unlike him. I’m concerned. Last time, it… stars, you saw what happened last time.”

 

“Hah, yeah… Poor Sans. Do you think he’s actually ready for something like that, after what happened?” Chara asked in concern, her red eyes slanting in memory.

 

“I don’t know. I’ve talked with Roxy. She’s _vastly_ different from the one from before. It’d be _cute_ if I wasn’t so _worried_ about him.” Papyrus admitted grudgingly.

 

“Hmm. Tell you what, Pap, I’ll keep an eye on her, when I can. Let you know what I think. But you gotta remember, Sans is an adult. He’s grown since then, and I believe he’s learned a thing or two.” Chara murmured thoughtfully.

 

“Heh, you’re the second person to tell me something like that.” Papyrus muttered, slouching further into his chair.

 

“You feeling ok?” Chara finally asked, looking at her tall friend in concern. Papyrus shrugged, “M’just tired. I had a bad day at work yesterday, and then, I… heh, well, I just can’t seem to get out of this funk I’m in.”

 

“I don’t even know why you guys bother with working, all that gold made ya’ll filthy rich.” Chara chuckled, crossing her arms and giving him a playful sneer, “You have enough money to be that guy on the monopoly board!”

 

“Pftt, you wouldn’t catch me _dead_ in a monocle!” Papyrus grinned and added, as Chara giggled at him.

“As much as I love doing absolutely nothing, Sans would _murder_ me if I spent all day sleeping. An, I don’t really mind doing odd jobs. M’learning a lot, you know? And I've made some friends. Its just… some humans are so infuriating, the way they can be so entitled and arrogant. Not to mention… Wingdings is still stuck in the Underground and after four years of giving it my all, I STILL can’t figure out why.” Papyrus admitted bitterly.

 

“I get it.” Chara laughed softly, her eyes looking down to the floor. “I really do. I’m sorry about all that.”

 

“Ehh, it is what it is.” Papyrus grinned ironically, “And besides, everyone else seems to be doing really well. Alphys is living her dream, legally beating up crimnals, Undyne is recovering from her depression and is making scientific strides alongside the human scientists, Asgore and Toriel are both pursuing the jobs they always wanted to begin with, instead of being burdened with their royal titles. Napstaton and Hapstablook are finally reunited and spreading positivity between monster and human kind through their music and entertainment. Really, I’m _happy_ for them all.” _I’m the only one who has nothing to show for the four years I’ve been here. Even Sans has improved his cooking, to the point that our friends come here willingly to eat his food. I can't even free our brother. What's the point?_

 

“Yeah. I hope everything keeps going well.” Chara added under her breath, oblivious to Papyrus’ inner dialogue.

 

Papyrus glanced at her through the corner of his socket with an expression that _still_ managed to make her monumentally uncomfortable and she quickly shook her head, “You know I’d never reset. I wasn’t able to save Frisk… or Monster Kid. But, if this is the best ending we’re going to get, I’ll take it. I just want all of you to be happy.”

 

“So you say. I bet anything we’ve had this conversation before.” Papyrus grumbled flatly, still giving her that look he'd given her so many times in Judgement Hall.

 

“We… haven’t, actually. Does that surprise you? This actually _is_ the first time I set everyone free… And it’s the first time I haven’t felt a need to reset.” Chara replied to his snarky comment quietly. “I… I was tempted, especially after what happened to Sans, but… seeing the way you picked up the slack and started _doing_ things for him… that was new. And it was _good_. Your relationship with him _grew,_ and… I realized that, no matter what comes, we have to keep moving forward. The past is the past. So, no more resets, Pap. I promised you, remember?”

 

Papyrus chuckled again, but in a dull, insincere manner, “I appreciate the thought, kiddo, it’s just… It’s hard for me to care about anything you know? Knowing it could all be wiped back to square one. Sans is the only reason I keep waking up every day.”

 

“…I’m sorry Pap. I made a promise to you. And I swear I’ll keep it.” Chara told Papyrus frankly, her red eyes flashing with **~~determination~~**.

 

Papyrus shrugged again, still not convinced, but Chara let him be. He just needed time. She was going to prove herself to him, even if it took _all_ her life.

 

At that moment, Sans’ motorcycle roared up, and pulled into the garage. A few minutes later, he came in, looking… mildly disgruntled.

 

“Heya bro.” Papyrus called out, taking note of his brother’s unusually flat expression.

 

“Hmm? Oh, Hello, Pap. Hi Chara!” Sans muttered, stomping to the kitchen.

 

Chara raised a brow. Well, that wasn’t normal.

 

“Sans? You ok, buddy?” she called, tilting her head.

 

“I’m Fine!” Sans replied as he started getting things out of the fridge for lunch, “Are you staying to eat?”

 

“Naw, I gotta get home. Are we still on for the movie tomorrow?” Chara grinned as she tried to get Sans smiling.

 

Sans snapped his gaze to her, breaking into a sheepish grin, “Oh! Yes! I Almost Forgot About Our Outing!”

 

“YOU almost forgot about going to see Eternity War?!” Chara repeated in disbelief.

 

“Heh… I’m Sorry. I, Uh… I Just Have A Lot On My Mind.” Sans replied, “D-don’t Worry About It Though! It’s No Big Deal!”

 

Chara shook her head as she went over to Sans and gave him a quick hug.

 

“Me and Temmie will be ready to go tomorrow.”

 

“Alright. Have A Good Afternoon Chara!” Sans grinned.

 

Chara paused as she added, “By the way, Roxy got the job!”

 

“Oh! T-that’s good!”

 

Ah-ha. He didn’t seem surprised… which meant that he had probably already heard from Roxy. Which meant that his off-mood was probably HER fault… what did she tell him?

 

“Did Roxy already tell you?” Chara pressed.

 

“No!... Yes, I Ran Into Her On My Way Back… Look, Guys, I Know You’re Both Worried About Me. I’m FINE. Roxy Just… Is Going Through Some Stuff With Her Family. That’s All.” Sans finally admitted, as he caught Papyrus’s sneaky stare.

 

“Alright… well, I really do need to go now. Talk to you guys later!” Chara waved as she left.

 

Papyrus shrugged to his feet and shuffled over to the kitchen, watching as Sans made some quick sandwiches.

 

“I Assume You Haven’t Eaten Yet, Right?” Sans smirked knowingly.

 

“Yeah… I was holding out for one of your, heh, _sans_ wiches.” Papyrus rubbed his socket as Sans passed him a sandwich, scowling at his pun.

 

“Really, Sans, what’s the matter?” Papyrus questioned as they settled into a weird silence.

 

“N-nothing’s The Matter! I Wish You’d Believe Me!” Sans complained as he looked up from his sandwich.

 

“I do… But I also think you’re withholding information.” Papyrus replied wryly.

 

Sans sighed as he looked out the window. Finally, he looked back to Papyrus.

 

“Ok… I’ll Tell You… But You Need To PROMISE Me That You Won’t Worry About Me!” Sans said sternly.

 

Papyrus chuckled as he settled in his seat, taking an eager bite of his sandwich.

 

“I’m all ears, bro.”

 

8~8~8~8~8~8`8~

 

DREAD.

 

That was what filled Roxy as she approached her house again, her steps slow and measured. This time, she could plainly see her mother, her eldest brother, Tristan, and… fucking David. It looked like he was just getting ready to leave and she cringed as Tristan caught sight of her. All the things in the two vehicles had been unloaded, and Roxy then realized... Tristan had moved in. She wished she had looked at her phone, there was probably some definite answers, but she felt certain in her guess. Tristan had just turned 18 a couple of months ago, it made sense that he was probably moving into the house with her… made sense to an extent, anyways.

 

_Why the hell didn't mom talk to me about this first?_

 

Her mother caught sight of her next and Roxy’s stomach twisted unpleasantly as _David_ turned to look at her, his expression neutral before he quickly looked away.

 

_Fuck you, asshole. Why the fuck are you here?_

 

She squared her shoulders and forced herself to NOT flinch as she waved to them, “Hello!”

 

“Hiya Roxy!” Tristan waved, looking… sheepish.

 

“Roxy! Why didn’t you answer my texts?”

 

_Oh fuck. Thanks mom. Thanks for questioning me like a little kid in front of my fucking ex._

“I’m sorry, mom, my INTERVIEW ran long, and I didn’t look at my phone after I left.” Roxy replied with gritted teeth and a pleasant voice. She didn’t look at David, choosing to ignore him. After all... that was what he wanted.

 

_Don’t call me, don’t text me, don’t talk to my family. Stay the hell away from me, Roxy!_

_This is just some sick joke, isn’t it?_ Roxy couldn't help but think as she shoved her hands into her pockets.

“Oh. I’m sorry, Rox. I forgot you had an interview today. How did it go?” her mother asked, still seeming unconcerned about the fact that Roxy’s Ex-boyfriend was standing right there, the two of them pointedly ignoring each other.

 

_God this is weird._

 

“It went well! I got the job. So! What are you all doing here?” _And why the fuck is my Ex here, MOM?_

“I forgot to mention it, but Tristan asked if he could move into the house with you. I thought that would be a good idea, since the two of you could split the rent and the responsibility of caring for the house.”

 

“I, uh, I hate to be rude, but I have to go.” David cut in, his voice quiet and cold.

 

“Alright, David. Thanks for taking the time out of your Saturday to help us get Tristan moved, I really appreciate it! _”_ her mother replied as David walked away, not bothering to reply as he climbed into his truck and quickly drove off.

 

“… I see the Grinch hasn’t changed one bit.” Roxy observed.

 

Tristan snickered and her mother bristled, “Roxy! That is rude!”

 

“It’s true though, mom. So, Tristan, you’re really ok with living here?”

 

“Yup.” Tristan nodded, “Don’t worry, I’ll help with the house and everything!”

 

“That’d be great actually.” Roxy replied, although she felt rather skeptical. Tristan wasn’t exactly known for his cleanliness. Plus he didn’t have a job… he did have a car though.

 

_Lucky dude._

 

“Thanks for the help, mom. I think I’ve got everything now.” Tristan added.

 

“Are you sure, honey?”

 

“I’m sure. If I need any help-“

 

“Yeah, I can help out.” Roxy nodded, already knowing what he was implying.

 

“Well, if you’re sure.” Their mother looked at Roxy and she added, “Do you mind letting me and Roxy talk a moment in private, Tristan?”

 

“Sure.” Roxy’s brother went into the house and Roxy braced herself.

 

“Roxy, listen. I already explained the house rules to your brother. I thought this went without saying, but I’m going to say it anyways; I don’t want you inviting random boys into this house. I don’t want any promiscuity going on here.”

 

Roxy turned red as she swallowed her outrage and nodded. “I know mom! And I haven’t!” _Well, I did this morning, but he declined to come in._

“Alright. I’m very glad you found employment so quickly, sweetheart.” Her mother held out her arms and Roxy accepted the hug, feeling relieved, as her mother finally left.

 

Roxy turned to her house and swallowed as she heard loud, obnoxious rap music blare out. Tristan was... making himself at home.

It could be worse. 

Roxy blew out a breath, her shoulders sagging, as the tension she had been under finally eased away. Tristan wouldn't be so bad to live with, right? She smiled as she pulled out her phone to text Kelsey and Cinna about her new job.

_I can't wait to get started._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh brother indeed.


	10. Monday Manic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What can I say? It's a Monday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I... I think I'm not going to swap the minor monsters personalities. Shyren is still shy, Aaron is still a muscle head, Loox doesn't like to be picked on, Whimsum is still frail, Froggits are Froggits...
> 
> There are other characters that I swapped, such as the shop keepers. But, uh, we'll see how things go. I hope that's ok, I debated long and hard about this. If anyone has any objections, or suggestions, I'm wide open. It's minor thing and won't affect the plot either way. 
> 
> Also, Toriel is in this chapter! Yay!

 

Temmie grumbled as Chara planted a quick kiss on her ear, patting her head as she grinned,” Temmie, I promise, it’s gonna be fine!”

 

“You guys don’t even _know_ Weenis girl!” Temmie complained, wiping the kiss off her ear with an annoyed growl. “Also, can you not kiss me before you brush your teeth?! Your breath smells _indescribable, and not in a good way._ ”

 

“Alphys ran a background check on her, and Papyrus checked her stats. She’s fine, practically harmless, actually. I’m more worried about what _you_ would do to _her_.” Chara chuckled, completely unapologetic about her breath.

 

Offended, Temmie hissed, “I didn’t _mean_ that I’m _scared_ of her! And I made a promise, didn’t I? I wouldn’t _hurt_ the dumb idiot! I haven’t hurt ANYONE!”

 

“Of course not. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to imply that, Temmie.” Chara picked Temmie up carefully, holding her so she was looking into Temmie’s face. Temmie pouted, looking away.

 

“Tem.” Chara frowned softly.

 

“What.” The doll grouched without looking at Chara, although she didn’t try to get away.

 

“… Don’t be a big ol’ meanie-pants, ok? It’d make a lot of people happy if you cooperated. Me, Dad, Sans-”

 

“Pfft, everything makes _that_ smiling idiot super happy! You _can’t_ use that to try to bribe me!” Temmie bit back.

 

Chara sighed as she shrugged before putting Temmie down on the bed.

“Well, I know deep down, you actually really enjoy Sans’ bottomless optimism, so-“

 

“So you thought you’d use _that_ to manipulate my behavior? Pfft, well the jokes on you! I _don’t_ enjoy his stupid happy-go-lucky spiel!” Temmie snapped.

 

“Aw, c’mon, you were part of the Magnificent Sans fan club!” Chara pointed out with a grin.

 

“I-that- that was another timeline!” Temmie protested, blushing gray.

 

“It still counts.” Chara chuckled as she finished getting ready for school, pulling her socks over a fading bruise on her ankle. Temmie squinted, as she noticed the bruise and looked back up at Chara with a skeptical expression.

 

“You still haven’t told him, have you?” the doll accused pointedly.

 

“Tell him what?” Chara replied in a ‘drop it’ tone of voice.

 

Tem, for a moment, remembered her true self and looked away, her face taking on a different expression.

 

“Chara… I know I said d-don’t kill an don’t b-be killed, but… You need to be _careful_. The world isn’t a nice place. A-and… damn it. Chara what the hell would I _do_ if… if something happened to you?”

 

“Nothing’s gonna happen to me, Temmie.” Chara replied quietly, touched as she looked into the remnants of Monster Kid’s expression, buried deep within Temmie.

 

“I know you’re worried. But we can’t fear the future. We’re _gonna_ be fine and I’m _going_ to make a difference in the world.” Chara smirked, ~~Determination~~ flashing in her red eyes as she ruffled Tem’s fluffy hair affectionately, “So, seriously, don’t worry about me! I always find a way.” She winked knowingly.

 

Tem’s face twisted at the reference, and while her expression wasn’t kind, it was better then seeing her sad and worried.

 

“You’d better!” she snarled. “Especially since you actually _have_ arms!”

 

“Love you, too, Temmie.” Chara laughed, expression soft as the doll pouted up at her.

 

Asgore’s voice rumbled from downstairs, “Chara! Papyrus is here!” and Chara grinned as she ruffled Temmie’s hair again, “Wanna come down stairs with me?”

 

“Fine.” Temmie grumbled as she quickly warped onto Chara’s shoulder and settled down on top of her backpack.

 

“But if that Grinning Garbage Pail says _anything_ to me, I’m gonna-“

 

“Smile and wave, Temmie.” Chara cut in with a patient sigh.

 

Temmie muttered under her breath but said nothing as Chara skipped downstairs, waving at Papyrus, “What’s up, Pap?”

 

“The sky… some clouds… Infinite space.” Papyrus yawned lethargically as he scratched his nasal cavity, “Do you _really_ have to go to school this early?”

 

“You literally say this _every_ time you take me to school.” Chara chuckled, “You don’t have to, you know-“

 

“Eh, I’ve got nothing better to do. C’mon, kiddo. Catch ya later, old man.” Papyrus waved nonchalantly to Asgore, as he put up his hood, casting one more glance as Chara put Temmie on the ground.

 

“Oh, I didn’t notice ya there, Tem.”

 

“Don’t patronize me, Grinning Garbage-Pail.” Temmie snapped primly.

 

“Today’s Roxy’s first day here right? Don’t give her a bad _tem,_ alright?” Papyrus grinned sharply, giving her a wink that set her face vibrating in pure rage.

 

Asgore snorted, hiding a chuckle, and Chara and Temmie both groaned, Chara pushing Papyrus out the door, “See you after school, Temmie! Bye, Dad! I love you both!”

 

Temmie stifled a groan as her best friend left her. A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door.

 

“Thank goodness she’s on time. I just got a call asking if I can be a half-hour early today.” Asgore murmured as he quickly opened the door, feeling the beginnings of anxiety. He _really_ hoped he wouldn’t have to come home early… again.

 

_Stars, Temmie, please be good for Roxy. She’s literally the last person within a ten-mile radius that has agreed to care for you._

 

Roxy stood outside on the porch, wiping sleep from her eyes as she smiled up at Asgore, “Good morning! How are you?”

 

“Good morning, Roxy! I am well, and yourself?”

 

“Oh, you know, not too bad, heh.” Roxy laughed quietly as Asgore stepped to the side to let her in.

 

“I’m afraid I’ll have to leave right away, as I’ve been called into work early today. However, I have left a list, so any questions you have should be covered there.”

 

“Alright! That’s no problem.” Roxy replied cheerfully. She glanced around and smiled as she caught sight of Temmie, sitting at the table absently picking at a bowl of cereal. “Good morning, Temmie!”

 

“Bite me, Weiner-face.” Temmie replied sullenly.

 

“Uh, thanks, but I’d rather not.” Roxy replied with a quirked brow, stifling a yawn and ignoring the name.

 

Temmie raised a brow at the reply but said nothing else.

 

Asgore had ducked away to grab his things and now, he moved quickly, as he prepared to leave, calling, “Please text me if anything comes up! Otherwise, I will see you this evening!”

“No problem! I hope you have a good day!” Roxy smiled as Asgore waved cheerfully before grabbing a lunchbox, his work satchel and traveling mug of tea.

 

“Have a good day, Temmie!” Asgore smiled at her, his expression pleading.

 

“Ok.” Temmie muttered, looking back at him with a neutral face.

 

A few minutes later, it was just Roxy and Temmie.

 

Roxy took off her shoes, clearing her throat, “ So, uh, I’m gonna go grab some coffee, try to finish waking up, and the note that Asgore left. Um, do you need anything from the kitchen?”

 

“Nope, not from you.” Temmie replied flatly, stabbing at her cereal angrily.

 

Roxy almost made a joke about Temmie’s previous claim to want to be a serial killer, but thought better of it as she shrugged.

 

“Ok. I’ll be right back!”

Roxy put her bag on a chair at the table and went into the kitchen. To her relief, there was a coffee maker and a bag of ground coffee in the cabinet.

 

“So, Temmie, wanna play twenty questions?” Roxy called out as she set to work to make some coffee, grabbing the note Asgore left for her.

 

“Twenty Questions? What’s that?” Tem’s voice drifted back to her.

 

“It’s a game where one person chooses a thing, and the other people have to guess what that thing is by asking questions about what it is used for, how big it might be, etc. The catch is that you have to try to guess the object in twenty questions or less.”

 

“Huh… sounds _really_ boring.” Temmie replied sullenly.

 

“Well, I suppose. I mean, it’s a really old game, I think it was made before television was a thing.” Roxy laughed as she waited for the coffee to percolate eagerly. “I guess I should have asked if you even _like_ games.”

 

Temmie made some sort of noise that didn’t sound totally negative, so Roxy assumed the answer was that she _did_ enjoy games, just didn’t want to admit to it.

 

Roxy poured herself a large cup of black caffeine before taking the list and going back to the dining room. She stopped short.

 

“Oh, you found my emergency kit!” Roxy grinned as she took a seat next to Temmie, who was rifling through the large satchel with no qualms.

 

“Huh? I thought this was your purse?” Temmie frowned, disappointed. She loved going through their purses because it got them so mad! Plus, it was an easy tactic to begin the disposal of the caregiver.

 

“Nope. I always bring an emergency bag with me to my jobs. An trick I learned on the job unfortunately. The stories I can tell.” Roxy chuckled ruefully as she took a sip of her coffee, apparently unworried as Temmie continued to pull out all the things, looking at the books with a measure of fascination and disgust,” These are all for little kids!”

 

“W-well, I actually _forgot_ to take those out. I use these I-Spy books as a way to play quiet, indoor games, but I don’t think that will be necessary with you, since you’re obviously more mature then my previous charges. These books were always good to use when the weather was bad.” Roxy added. She yawned again and murmured, “Man, thank god your dad keeps coffee in the house.”

 

“Uh… I don’t think that’s coffee.” Temmie looked at the cup and wrinkled her nose, “That’s that yucky essence of ground snail that he loves so much.”

 

There was a moment of perfect silence before Roxy spewed her mouthful of drink all over the table.

 

“EXCUSE ME WHAT?” Roxy coughed and sputtered.

 

Temmie snorted before going into a full-blown maniacal laugh, “Psyche! Oh man your _face!”_

 

Blinking, Roxy raised a brow,” Oh… so you were pulling my leg?”

 

“Maybe.” Temmie grinned evilly and Roxy shook her head, “Oh c’mon, don’t do that to me! My poor heart can’t handle the excitement!”

 

Temmie just smirked as she watched Roxy get up to get some paper towels to clean the mess.

 

_Temmie 1. Roxy 0. You may as well quit now, Weenis Girl, I’m just warming up._

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

The School bell finally rang, and Chara swallowed as she gathered her things to leave, wincing as she turned to grab her backpack, feeling unsurprised as she realized that it was gone.

 

 _Oh great, wonder where it is._ She thought sarcastically as she stood to her feet and marched over to the hall, pushing passed her fellow students as she peered into the garbage can that was right across the hall. Sure enough, there it was, with all the stuff dumped out.

 

_Oh, this again. Man, these guys are freaking uncreative. They oughtta take some bullying lessons from Loox and Astigmatism._

Chara quickly dug her stuff out, looking over her shoulder as Asriel joined her, his expression sad, “Dude, did they steal your backpack again?”

 

“Yup.” Chara replied tensely as he reached into the garbage and helped her grab her stuff.

 

“I guess they can’t tell the difference between school supplies and trash. Pretty dumb, huh?” Chara joked, but Asriel frowned, insisting, “Yo, you should tell mom! Or dad! Or literally anyone, dude!”

 

“Asriel, you remember what happened the last time. Besides, this isn’t so bad. No one’s getting hurt, and I’m _not_ going to let those jerks think that they’re getting to me. Sooner or later, they’ll give up.” Chara replied resolutely.

 

“But dude-“

 

“It’s FINE.” Chara snapped. She winced at Asriel’s hurt expression. With a contrite expression, she finished putting her stuff back in her backpack and sighed, muttering, “Asriel, I’m sorry. I know you’re just concerned. But really… this is nothing. I’ve been through worse, believe me.”

 

Asriel looked fierce a moment as he snapped, “If I was strong like Alphys or Sans, I’d beat up the bullies for you!”

 

Chara laughed a little as she ruffled Asriel’s fur affectionately, ruefully grinning, “Naw dude, violence isn’t the answer. We’d just be like them if we did what they’re doing to us.”

 

“I wouldn’t hurt ‘em, I’d just scare ‘em!” Asriel protested as they walked to the school entrance together.

 

Chara chuckled, full of love for her adopted sibling, “Yeah, you would, buddy. You’re the strongest monster I know!”

 

Asriel smiled as he stumbled a little, looking sad as they both noticed their mother, waiting at the entrance for them. She hadn’t caught sight of them yet and Asriel quietly whispered, “Yo… do you think… do you think Dad really wants to get back together with mom?”

 

“It doesn’t really matter at this point, Asriel. They can’t forgive themselves, and until that happens, they shouldn’t try.” Chara muttered, feeling frustrated, but pushing it down resolutely.

 

Toriel had caught sight of them and her stern face broke into a warm smile, her eyes melting into tender love.

 

“Greetings, my children!”

 

Chara and Asriel both gave her a hug, uncaring as to whoever saw them, and Chara squeezed Toriel as hard as she could.

 

It was the most difficult decision in the world, choosing to live with Asgore over Toriel, but she was happy she got to see Toriel as often as she did, since the former queen had started working at her school as a substitute teacher at first before working her way to vice president. Toriel’s nose wrinkled as she frowned, “Have the two of you been… digging through the trash?”

 

“Er, it’s just our smell from P.E., mom!” Chara giggled, thinking quickly, “How did your day go?”

 

“It went quite well!” Toriel smiled, a little sadly as she added,” It’s been difficult to strike a balance between humans and monsters, as the Vice Principle of this school, however, I think I am getting the hang of it!” she laughed cheerfully.

 

Chara smiled, “You’re doing great, mom, I’m so proud of you!”

 

Toriel’s expression sobered slightly as she added, “Alphys told me that your father is trying one last time to find a caretaker for Temmie. How is that going?”

 

“She just started her first day, but so far, so good. I haven’t had any calls or texts to indicate otherwise.” Chara replied.

 

Toriel nodded stiffly, adding, “I see. Well, I hope you are right, my child.”

 

The roar of a motorcycle filled the air briefly and Chara grinned as she saw her friend, Sans, pull up next to the curb, waving enthusiastically at them.

 

“I’d better go. Bye mom!” Chara hugged Toriel one more time and high-fived Asriel, who waved, “Later, dude!”

 

This was always hard, leaving the two people she loved… but Chara had given up trying to mend the bond between Toriel and Asgore. They refused to try, and it was heart wrenching really, especially since Toriel thought that Asgore and Papyrus had a thing with each other and didn’t want to get in the way of “ true love”.

 

 _Geez, mom, don’t be so down on yourself._ Chara thought wryly. Sure, Papyrus and Asgore loved each other, but not like _that_. They were close friends and true platonic soul mates, the way they got along, joking and balancing each other out. However, Toriel had too much guilt and self-hatred to perceive any hope for reconciliation, however, and it had blinded her to all opportunities to even try with Asgore.

And so, as Chara saw Sans, standing at the curb, ready to take her home from school, she smiled a little, more than ready for a friendly face and a fast ride.

 

“Hello Chara! How Was School?” Sans asked, happily and excitedly.

 

“Oh, it was fine. You know, it was school.” Chara chuckled.

 

“That It Is, Indeed! Are You Ready To Go Home?” Sans questioned with a grin.

 

“Yup. Let’s hit it!” Chara nodded eagerly, hoping that Roxy really had made it through the day with Temmie.

 

Sans took her hand and helped her climb on board, handing her his spare helmet. He started up the bike and cautiously pulled away from the school, dancing playfully with the speed limit as they reached the main road.

 

Chara had to admit, riding with Sans on his bike was probably one of her favorite things. She would sit in front of him, her body leaned into the wind as the world rushed, Sans’ strong, giant frame bracing her from behind.

 

It was exhilarating, like a true sense of freedom. The wind whipping around her, the sun shining and the world a mere blur. It was easy to forget all her problems in these moments when it was just she and the fuzzy world around her.

 

Unfortunately, the ride always seemed to end way too soon, since she only lived a half hour’s walk from school.

 

“So, how did your day go, Sans?” Chara questioned as he helped her down.

 

“It Was Great! Mweh-Heh-Heh, Alphys Was Able To Swing By On Her Break And She Saw The Progress Her Old Students Have Made! She Was Quite Happy! She Even Said That I Should Consider Working For The Police Department, Since I’ve Done So Well In Her Absence!”

 

“Are you going to?” Chara questioned as they approached the door, getting her keys out.

 

Sans frowned thoughtfully.

 

“I… I’m Still Thinking About It.”

 

“It’s be cool, you’d be working alongside Alphys again!” Chara pointed out as they walked into the house.

 

“There Is That.” Sans agreed.

 

“Temmie! Roxy! I’m home!” Chara called out. She frowned, as there was no response.

 

“Perhaps They’re Outside?” Sans questioned and they quickly moved to look out a window. No sign of the two.

 

“Oh you’ve gotta be kidding me! Papyrus was right!” Chara groaned.

 

“N-Now Hold On A Moment! Let’s Go Outside And See If They’re Just Out Of Sight.” Sans chided as he led the way.

 

They walked outside, and instantly, they could hear Temmie’s voice, complaining, “Oh MY GOD, You SUCK!”

 

“Hey now, don’t be rude. Just because _you’re_ crazy good doesn’t give you the right to be a jerk.” Roxy’s chiding voice.

 

Chara and Sans both heaved sighs of relief as they finally noticed the top of Roxy’s head behind Asgore's beloved giant azalea bush. Chara called out, “Hey Temmie! Roxy! I’m home!”

 

“Chara!”

 

Temmie instantly warped right next to Chara, her face vibrating with agitation, “You’ve got to save me, Chara, Weenis girl is _horrible._ I can’t _stand_ her!”

 

“What did she do that was so awful?” Chara raised a brow and Temmie grumbled, “She’s too fucking _boring_!”

 

Chara’s mouth twitched and she snickered, as Sans wagged a finger, “Temmie, Such Language. You’re Too Young To Use Those Words!”

 

“Hello Sans. Do I look like I give a crap?” Temmie grumbled as Roxy joined them, having scooped up the drawing pads and supplies that Temmie left behind.

 

“Hello Chara! Uh, Hi, Sans!” She smiled, “Temmie and I were just sketching the flowers in the garden.”

 

“I see. That sounds _fun._ Like, _right_ up your alley, Tem.” Chara just grinned at Temmie, who pouted, “ yeah, yeah, _whatever_.”

 

“Can I see your drawings?” Sans asked delightedly.

 

At this moment, both Chara and Roxy’s phones dinged.

 

Roxy frowned as she pulled out her phone, as did Chara.

 

“Huh. Looks like your dad is gonna be late.” Roxy frowned.

 

“Yeah, he sent me the text too. I’ve got things from here, Roxy, you can go home… or to class, or whatever it is that you’ve got going on.” Chara chuckled.

 

Roxy nodded, “Yeah, I actually do have class in about half an hou-HOLY HECK, I GOTTA GO!” Roxy squeaked as she realized just what time it was, frantically rushing, before pausing and grinning to Temmie, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Tem! Bye Chara and Sans!”

 

Chara looked at Sans, as he fidgeted.

 

“Hey, why don’t you go on home, Sans? Temmie and I have plans.”

 

“We do?” Temmie frowned as Sans nodded, “Very Well! I Think… I Think I’ll Go And See If Roxy Would Like A Ride To School.”

 

“That sounds great!” Chara chuckled, “Bye Sans!”

 

The large skelly left and Chara scooped Temmie up, giving her a hug, she asked quietly, “So, how did things really go?”

 

Temmie grumbled under her breath.

 

“Did Roxy hurt you?”

 

“No.”

 

“Was she mean?”

 

“… No.” Temmie growled, “ Don’t get smug, Chara, it’s only the first day.”

 

Chara grumbled, “Aw, Tem, c’mon. What did you do?”

 

“Well, I did make her think that she had brewed some of Asgore’s Essence of Snail, as opposed to that nasty coffee junk.”

 

Chara actually held back a laugh, as Temmie grinned, “She made a really accurate impression of a volcano.”

 

“That’s actually pretty funny.”

 

“Yeah, I thought so too..”

 

“So what’s so bad about her?” Chara questioned quietly.

 

“The _problem is that_ I don’t _want_ a BABY SITTER.” Temmie snarled.

 

“… Temmie, you can’t pretend that this isolation you’re putting yourself in isn’t affecting you. Dad and I see how you’re changing, you’re not sneaky, or subtle if you’re trying to hide it.”

 

“You’re not gonna _gain_ anything by forcing me to spend time with someone I don’t even like!” Temmie snarled,” I WILL make her leave. It’s just a matter of time…. Why do you smell like garbage again?”

 

Chara sighed before giving her a patient grin, ignoring the question, “You know, you said something like that to me, in one of my resets. And you were wrong. I gained _everything_.”

 

Temmie opened her mouth and then closed it, her eyes narrowing. “Whatever. My mind is made up, and in case you’ve forgotten, you’re not the only here with determination.”

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Roxy rushed as she grabbed her things, hurriedly trying to get out the door. At this rate, she was gonna miss her bus-

 

“Er, Roxy?”

 

She turned as Sans came in from the back, his face concerned, “I came in to see if you would like a ride to school?”

 

She blinked owlishly.

 

“Wait really? You’re offering to- isn’t that out of your way?” Roxy smiled nervously.

 

“No… Well, Yes, BUT! I Really Don’t Mind, Especially Since You Seem To Be Running Late. You Don’t Have A Vehicle, Correct?”

 

“…Yeah, that’s true. Well, if you’re sure it’s no trouble, I would love to ride with you.” Roxy admitted softly, “That would be awesome, actually.”

 

Sans grinned excitedly as he chuckled,” Then What Are We Waiting For? Let’s Go!”

 

He took her hand, and led her outside. Roxy gulped nervously, as she followed him willingly, her eyes glued to his hand grasping hers. Warmth glowed inside of her.

 

_…Oh no._

Her pupils shrank with realization.

_OH NO._

He handed her a spare helmet, which she quickly slipped on, to hide her blush, as he placed his own helmet on, straddling his bike, he held out his hand with an audible grin, “M’lady? Are You Ready?”

 

_…I have a crush._

_*internal screaming ensues*_

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

 

Sans felt his SOUL thump as Roxy took his hand and climbed aboard his bike, timidly wrapping her arms around his waist; he heard her muffled, “Is this ok? I’ve never ridden a motorcycle.”

 

_Oh My Stars, This Is Her First Ride! And It’s With Me!_

Sans would be lying if he said he wasn’t excited about the prospect of introducing her to the excitement of motorcycles.

 

“Y-YES, THAT’S PERFECT! J-JUST HANG ON TIGHT!” Sans replied loudly, trying to play it cool as he started up the engine, his SOUL thrumming as he felt her grip squeeze around him with anticipation.

He pulled away from the curb and she gave a happy squeal as he built up speed, the world flying by her so much more vividly then she'd ever experienced before.

 

Sans knew where the college was; he had passed by it many times before, running errands around the city and hanging out with Alphys… not to mention the… other times he’d taken someone on a ride.

 

He frowned as he realigned his attention to road, grinning as he felt Roxy shift, and her arms encircled him a little more.

 

_She Has Quite A Grip!_

 

It didn’t take long before they were pulling up in front of the admissions building and Sans drove close to the curb, pausing as he asked, “Is This Ok? Which Building Is Your Class?”

 

“This is fine! Thanks, Sans, you’re a real life saver!” Roxy replied, as she removed her helmet. Sans held out his hand as he helped her down, keeping the bike steady. She had the happiest grin he had ever seen on her face, and she giggled, “That was AWESOME! I didn’t realize how fun motorcycles are!”

 

“Mweh-Heh-Heh! I’m Glad You Enjoyed The Ride! Usually, People Complain That They’re Dangerous!” Sans admitted ruefully, more than pleased with her reaction.

 

“Well, they are, but so are cars, or really anything, if you think about it. You seem to have perfect control over your vehicle though, so I’m not worried!” Roxy smiled warmly.

 

“I- Thank You!” Sans’ pupils had burst into stars again, and Roxy giggled, her heart pounding as she felt her chest glow with warmth. How had she not noticed those cute, faint grey freckles that sprinkled over his cheeks, or that tiny gap between his front teeth? He was so big, and yet, he was adorable on so many levels.

 

A faint flashback to that intimidating smirk he had sent her, when they were playing Smash Bros, illuminated her mind briefly and she blushed, the warmth pooling from her chest to her stomach as she gulped.

 

“Roxy? Are you ok?”

 

“YES! I mean yes! I’m ok! Thanks again, Sans, I’ll text you later!” She giggled awkwardly, as she rushed away, “Bye!!!”

 

Roxy practically ran to class, catching up with Kelsey, who was grinning like a Cheshire cat.

 

“So… who was that hottie on the motorcycle?” Kelsey smirked. Her hair was dyed bright canary yellow today, and it looked beautiful.

 

Roxy gulped at her friend’s predatory gaze.

“Oh th-that was Sans, one of the monsters that saved me from being mugged last Thursday.”

 

“OH MY GOD REALLY! Are you two dating!?” Kelsey squealed and Roxy had to shush her as her blush intensified.

 

“Not so loud, please! No, we’re just friends.”

 

Kelsey just gave her an unimpressed look of disbelief.

 

“No, Kelsey, please you have to believe me!” Roxy pleaded as they took their seats.

 

“Uh-Huh.” Kelsey replied with that same look, “ Methinks the lady doth protest too much!”

 

“Oh for-“

 

She paused, as she noticed tear streaks down Kelsey’s face.

 

“Are… are you ok?”

 

“Oh me? Yeah, I’m fine!”

 

It was Roxy’s turn to give her a look of disbelief.

 

“… I’ll tell you later, ok?” Kelsey murmured, as the class began. “I didn’t have the best Monday.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to say thank you, again, to everyone reading this.  
> I know it's ANOTHER self-insert, self-ship fanfiction, (as if there aren't enough of those), but, I'm having fun and if anyone reading this reaps some sort of enjoyment from it as well, that's just a bonus. :)


	11. Rough Night All Around

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a particularly rough night, for more then one person. Meanwhile, something trembles in the Underground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight warning, for more nightmares and PTSD. Poor Chara.

 

Alphys snarled under her breath, as she finally, _finally_ left the station. It was already one in the morning, and she knew, deep down, that things were going to be very unpleasant, when she got home. Ever since she started this job, working for the police force, there had been a wedge, growing between her and Undyne. It had started off small, harmless, but now, she could feel it, it was almost a tangible thread that you could cut through with a knife-no, screw that, it was thick enough you would need an _axe_ to cut through it.

  

The long hours required by the police station had been... excruciating for them both. Undyne was picking up so much slack here at the house, it wasn’t even funny, not to mention how long she was being left on her own while Alphys worked. Alphys would promise to be home in time to do things with Undyne, and then that promise would be broken, as her hours would stretch. It was maddening.

There was no more free time, not for anything or the people that Alphys cared for. She had stopped at her old workplace on her break today, and witnessed the progress Sans had made with the students there in her absence. The cheerful nerd was an excellent warrior as well as an enthusiastic teacher and Alphys felt some regrets that she had never inducted him into the royal guard.

 

_He wouldn't have been ready. He's... grown so much since I met him._

 

Undyne was growing more and more quiet, as the days went by, and Alphys knew it because she felt isolated again. They had fallen behind on all their Animes, hardly had any time to spend with each other, and Alphys was beginning to feel that she would give anything to change that, to go back to the days when she would take Undyne to the beach during the weekends, when she would hurry to get home and cook dinner for her lovely fish... but as one of the very first monsters on the police force, the former captain of the royal guard had a lot of responsibilities and expectations to live up to, and humans to prove wrong.

It was… _would have been_ daunting for anyone else, really. But the fact that Alphys was no longer on her own was a huge factor in the present quandary. Undyne depended on her, loved her,  _needed_ her.

_I'm failing... no matter how hard I try, I always end up back here..._

 

As Alphys stalked through her own home very quietly, she realized, with an aching heart, that Undyne had indeed eaten alone and cleaned the house by herself.  _Again._

The Saurian tiptoed to the bedroom, feeling her guilt weigh her down even more by the sight that met her eyes, as she silently opened the door and peered in.

 

_Oh stars, Undyne... I'm so sorry. This job is making a goddamn liar out of me._

Undyne was already in bed, fast asleep, and it was easy to see that she had been crying.  _I did that. I made her cry, it's my fault._

 Alphys hated herself and her job in that moment, with a fiery passion. As she quickly stripped out of her uniform and slipped into bed, she hesitated only a moment before drawing Undyne into her arms, murmuring, " I'm so sorry, ’Dyne.” 

 

Sleepily, Undyne murmured and visibly hesitated before she surrendered, snuggling into Alphys, “What time’sit, Al?”

 

“Not the time I was _supposed_ to be home, that’s for damn sure.” Alphys muttered angrily, “I’m so sorry, babe, work ran late. I had a buttload of paperwork that they piled up on me last minute. It won’t happen again, I promise.”

 

Undyne sniffled a little, refusing to respond as she fell back to sleep. Alphys felt her guilt and frustration weigh on her and, wearily, she snuggled into Undyne’s shoulder, breathing deeply, she tried to sleep.

 

But sleep wouldn’t come. She lay awake, a court in session inside her brain, accusations thrown left and right, a merciless judge dressed in her own skin proclaiming her guilty on every account.

 

Alphys struggled within herself, trying to breath, trying to clear away her shame and sense of dishonor.

 

 _This sucks. I thought working for the police department would be such a fucking big deal, I thought it was everything that I wanted. I can’t even keep my life balanced with the love of my life, and I sure as hell haven’t won any brownie points with the humans_ _…When did I become subpar?_

8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Just down the street from Alphys and Undyne, Roxy was having trouble sleeping as well. She had already gone to bed late, since she had to work extra hard to clean the house AND begin that week’s workload of homework in the limited time that she had.

 

She could already feel a familiar bitterness swallowing her and she knew _exactly_ where it was originating.

 

 _I love my brother, but god, why can't he_ at least _be honest with me?_

 

Tristan, contrary to his promise to help with the house, had left his clothes piled up in the bathroom, had taken food out and then left it on the counter, and his dishes had already begun to build up in the sink.

 

Roxy’s eye twitched as she went to his room, trying to gently remind him that she wasn’t going to be able to clean up after him in the following days.

 

Her brother, half-paying attention as he played his online game, nodded absently, “Yeah, I know, don’t worry, I’ll get to it. Um, do you mind taking care of it just for tonight though? My team will lose if I pull out of the game now.”

 

Roxy closed her eyes before nodding out of habit, “Ok, I can do that.”

 

“Thanks Rox, you’re the best!” Tristan grinned as he returned to his game, snarling into his headset, “C’mon you FUCKERS, get it together!”

 

Roxy winced as she added wearily, “Also, um, you need to keep your voice down. I have to get up at 4:00 in order to get to my first class. So, uh-“

 

“Oh, yeah, no problem! Sorry about that.” Tristan grinned sheepishly and Roxy smiled in relief.

 

However, as she was startled awake _again_ , at 2 am, by Tristan’s shouting, she felt her anger bubbling like a goopy beast of fury. He was _still_ up, and he was _still_ playing his videogame.

 

 _Oh great… I think I know why mom moved him out of Carl’s house. The old guy probably couldn’t handle Tristan._ She thought to herself angrily a she put a pillow over her head and tried to go back to sleep.

 

Her brother had done this on Sunday night/Monday morning too, and she had gotten a disturbed 4 hours of sleep before her alarm introduced her to her Monday morning.

 

Yeah, Monday had been rough. She had been late to her first morning class, but had made it in time to Asgore’s house, thankfully. Temmie… was extremely difficult, and there had been more then one instance where Roxy felt her anxiety spike over the doll’s rude behavior.

Somehow, she had managed to keep herself from getting angry or upset, using all her previous experience to deflect Temmie’s jabs and pranks.

 

 _This job, caring for Temmie won’t be so bad… if I can at least get some sleep._ Roxy thought to herself angrily.

 

Not to mention… Poor Kelsey…

 

_My asshole of a boyfriend left me today. Well, no, he didn’t leave me exactly, I left him, because I caught him sexting some thot his junk. And then I lost my job. So, no, things aren’t great, Roxy._

Roxy cringed as she felt her heart ache. Why did bad things happen to good people? No, why did people have to cause other people such pain?

 

Her thoughts were interrupted by Tristan's raucous laughter, echoing from down the hallway and hot rage born of exhaustion and frustration surged within her.

 

Standing to her feet, she stomped down the hallway, her rage growing as she noticed his door wide open, the lights on, and his game’s volume on blast. Taking a deep breath, reminding herself that he was young and this was his first time living with just her, she poked her head in his room and called out, unable to keep the annoyance from her voice, “Tristan!”

 

He startled, turning in his chair as he caught sight of her.

 

“Am I being too loud?” he winced, looking genuinely sorry.

 

“ _Yes_ Triss, you are being _too_ loud. I have to get up at four, which is in two hours.” She growled at him, her eyes blazing.

 

“Oh shit, I’m sorry, Rox. I’ll be quiet!”

 

“Please Triss, I’m begging you.” Roxy replied sarcastically as she closed the door and went back to bad. She only had an hour and fifty-five minutes to get the rest of her sleep. God, she hoped she wouldn’t fall asleep in class. That was the last thing she needed.

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

_Cold, cutting darkness. Inky, black, tangible and s u f f o c a t i n g._

_Chara froze as she realized she was here again. She stifled her scream, she knew the blackness would just devour her cries for help._

_Besides… there would be no help, no rescue to come to her aid._

_Only the strange beasts that dwelled here. At the mere thought of them, she felt one brush her hand, cold, bone-like substance bumping into her, vibrating with a low, deep growl that she could feel in her SOUL and she quivered, jerking her hand to her mouth as she suppressed her cry of anguish._

No, no, no, I won’t cry, I won’t scream, it’s just a dream, just a dream, just a-

 

_A voice broke through her mental rambling, guttural, croaking and unhinged, speaking in a language she couldn't understand._

 

_The distorted whisper licked her ear and Chara quavered, her heart beating so hard, she was afraid it would fall to pieces, just like every time before._

Oh god, no, no, please, wake up, wake up, Chara please-!

 

_The darkness began shifting, like some sort of strange metamorphosis, taking a tangible shape, and suddenly, there was that strange, hooded and cloaked figure, tall, thin and more frightening then death itself, with that disembodied, sharp grin, gleaming with manic glee and madness. Their next words, though she couldn't understand anything, sent a shiver down her spine and filled her with a dread that rose up like bile in her throat._

_Chara struggled, but she couldn’t move her body. That familiar feeling of being bound and unable to ~~ACT~~ struck her with panic. Her pulse quickened and now, she felt the beasts of the void crowding her, pushing her closer to the hooded figure, whose grin grew, until it was all she could see, the teeth jagged, and suddenly, piercing lights above that._

 

Chara opened her mouth to scream.

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

_Oh fucking hell, not again._

Temmie could hear Chara mumbling, could hear the panicked way her breath pushed out of her chest.

 

This was getting out of hand. Chara’s nightmares had increased over the past four years, from occasional every few months or so, to every month, weekly and now…

 

Temmie quickly rolled to her feet and warped into Chara’s bed, about to wake her friend again when she stopped.

 

Chara was speaking coherently in her sleep, murmuring softly, but the words clear, almost robotic sounding.

 

“Dark, darker, yet darker. The darkness keeps on growing.”

 

Temmie felt herself grow cold, as those words left Chara’s twitching mouth. She vaguely recognized those words, but from where… or _when_ , she couldn’t recall.

 

The next words filled Temmie with overwhelming fear.

 

“Sooner or later, you will reset. And when you do, your SOUL will be miiiiiine- ”

 

Chara began to whimper, the last words drawn out with her moan of fear, and Temmie snapped out of her daze and placed her paws over Chara’s shoulders, shaking her, “Chara! Chara wake up! CHARA, YOU IDIOT, WAKE UP!”

 

Chara gasped, her eyes flying open as she shot up, panting as though she had been holding her breath for a very long time.

 

Temmie sighed, with a relief that she couldn’t even begin to describe. She had really… really felt that… Chara wasn’t going to wake up that time. Fear had spiked through her in such a way that she had not experienced in a very long time.

 

“You ok, Idiot?” Temmie growled, covering her fear with annoyance.

 

“No… no I’m not.” Chara gasped, thankful that Asriel wasn’t here this time as she broke down and cried, shivering with anguish she sobbed wordlessly.

 

Temmie groaned as she sat close, leaning against Chara, she murmured, “Go ahead and cry. Better out than in.”

The doll stood vigil, as Chara's tears leaked down her face, the two lonely beings silent.

Eventually, Chara fell back asleep, but Temmie did not. She curled next to Chara's pillow and considered her friend, frustrated. She had seen Chara cry before, but... the nightmares were indeed growing worse.

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Papyrus snorted awake. He blinked, blearily, wondering where the heck he was for a moment.

 

 _Oh… I fell asleep in my lab. Go figure. Probably gonna get another lecture from Sans about proper fucking sleep and all that good shit._ He yawned, checking the time. It was already six-thirty.

_Yup, definitely gonna get a lecture._

 

Blinking groggily, he sat up and tilted his skull as he cracked his neck, yawning again as he looked at his computer with frustration.

 

His eyes widened, as he really took a moment to see what was in front of him and it all crashing back.

 

 _I’d been running a simulation… I didn’t think much of it… these results are_ different.

 

He seized the equations and hypotheses that had printed out, examining them closely, desperately. Something had changed. _Something had changed._

 

What was it? Where was the difference? What had he even done?!

 

 _Oh my god, ‘Dings, I made_ progress _! I made a_ breakthrough _!_

Papyrus tried to still his breath; he was close to hyperventilating with elation, his sockets squinting with exhausted hope.

 

 _Keep it cool, ‘Rus. You_ don’t _want to overdo_ anything _. Let’s read these results through very, very carefully. But…_

He broke into a hesitant grin.

_“Wings might be closer to freedom then you thought.”_

His phone began chirping and singing, it was Sans’ ringtone. He hesitated before picking it up, answering with a croak, “Hey Sans.”

 

“PAP! ARE YOU OK? YOU DIDN’T COME DOWN, AND I DIDN’T SEE YOU IN YOUR ROOM.”

 

“I’m sorry I worried you, but I’m ok. I fell asleep in my lab. On accident of course.”

 

Sans’ voice softened with relief.

 

“Oh.”

 

“Yeah, I’ll be right up. Thank for checking on me.”

 

“Of Course! Mweh-Heh, I Just… Didn’t Want You To Miss Out On Breakfast. Alphys And Undyne Are Already Here…. To Be Honest, There’s Tension, And I Can’t Get Them To Relax.”

 

At that, Papyrus straightened, his frown slanted.

 

“Huh. I’ll be right up. Thanks bro.”

Papyrus looked at his computer and felt himself grin. For the first time in so long... he felt hope.

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

 Back in the Underground, there was an invisible stirring. Something was muttering, something was changing, and the stifling air had an unusual smell. Faint, almost imperceptible, and yet, there it was. The underground was mostly empty, save a few monsters continued to live here, choosing to go to the surface for vacations and visits only, but they weren't aware of the sudden change in the air.

Down in Waterfall, the murmuring of the echo flowers had all gone silent, and then, the rushing of the water went suddenly harshly quiet, like a blanket had been thrown down, suppressing the noise.

 

Wingdings raised his head, as the silence struck him, his eye-sockets darkening as he listened intently, his spine straightening ramrod straight, the silence unnatural and unearthly.

 

The whispering voices that haunted him from the river were not to be heard either. This wasn’t right. What was going on-

His soul was suddenly constricted, like something had struck the very culmination of his being.

 

With a gasp, Wingdings recoiled under the attack. His SOUL surged and his expression twisted as he snarled in rage, his mouth splitting open in a jack-O-lantern grimace as he gripped his boat paddle and raised it, striking the river while simultaneously summoning his magic from his soul. His damaged sockets flashed completely white before bursting into violet embers of magic. A powerful surge radiated from him and ripped into the river as his sockets flashed, intense magical output pouring out of his skull as he chanted, his magic manifesting into the symbols he was named after, arranging into a defensive spell.

 

~~"You Have No Power Here. I Alone Protect the River And I Banish You. Retreat Back To The Void Where You Came From!"~~

There was a flash of light, a warping of time and space that burst from Wingdings.

 

As suddenly as it had occurred, the sounds of the river and the marsh returned.

Wingdings sagged, his form shaking with magical exhaustion. Feeling watched, attacked and in dread, Wingdings shook with realization.

 

Something had severed his connection with the river temporarily. Ever since he had been gifted with this responsibility, _nothing_ had come between him and the river.

 

No. This was not right. Something was wrong, deadly wrong, and his skeletal hands trembled as he pulled out a box of cigarettes that Papyrus had given to him as a strange unease filled him, inhaling the smoke as he tried to think clearly, tried to regain his composure, unable to keep himself from glancing down the tunnel into the dark.

 

He would need to tell someone of this occurrence.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, a rather grim setting for this chapter. But, hey, things get worse before they get better! haha...
> 
> Anyways, thank you for reading, and I hope everyone had a pleasant Mother's Day!


	12. You Hear A Passing Conversation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The week as seen through Sans and Roxy's texting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I've never written a chapter like this, but I really liked the idea, and well, here we are.

 

 (Tuesday Night)

 

(BlueBoy): HELLO, ROXY! DID YOU MAKE IT HOME OK?

 

**_Coffeegirl is typing…._ **

(Coffeegirl)  _funny you should ask. I’m stuck outside my house._

(BlueBoy) WHAT?! WHY?

 

(Coffeegirl) _I think… I think Temmie took my house keys. I had them when I left this morning, and I know I had them at Asgore’s house. She had an interest in my purse… Anyways, my brother’s living here now, but I don’t think he can hear me knocking and he’s not answering his phone._

 

(BlueBoy) YOU DON’T HAVE A SPARE KEY?

 

(Coffeegirl) _I do, but, heh, it’s not where I normally hide it… so I’m left with two conclusion; either someone stole my spare key and now there’s a murderer in my house, or, more likely, Tristan took it as his copy of the house keys and didn’t make a replacement._

 

(BlueBoy): HOLD ON TIGHT, I’M GOING OVER TO ASGORE’S HOUSE RIGHT NOW TO SEE IF THEY HAVE YOUR KEYS.

 

(Coffeegirl)  _You don’t have to! I don’t want to bother them. Or you!_

 

…

 

(Coffeegirl) _Sans?_

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

Roxy frowned as she looked at her phone in surprise. Sans wasn’t responding. She chewed her lip, her stomach twisting, like it was being wrung. What an awful way to end the day. Man… and today had actually gone really well, too! Other than last night’s lack of sleep, Temmie hadn’t done anything overly rude or unpleasant. 

 

At that moment, she could hear running footstep and a moment later, Sans emerged from the darkness, his cheekbones flushed blue.

 

“Roxy! I’ve Got Your Keys!”

 

Roxy’s heart started beating so hard, she felt sure he would hear it. Her whole body felt light, as though she was floating. Sans grinned ruefully at her as he approached, holding out her keys.

She reached out to take them, gazing up at him as he explained, “Temmie Handed Them Over As Soon As I Showed Up. You’ll Probably Get An Apology Text From Asgore.”

 

Sure enough, her phone buzzed and Asgore’s id showed up. Roxy just giggled awkwardly, with some relief.

“Oh man, I’m actually really relieved. It would have _sucked_ if I had actually lost them somewhere.” Roxy looked away with her face going completely red as she added softly, “Sans, you didn’t have to go through the trouble-“

 

 “It Was No Trouble! We’re Friends After All! We Have To Look Out For Each Other!” Sans laughed, somewhat awkwardly as he blushed, scratching the back of his skull as he also glanced away, his cheek bones tinting blue. 

 

Roxy smiled shyly as she giggled,” Well, thank you. You’ve really come through for me so many times. I’d like to invite you in, but I have a mountain of homework I have to climb, and I’ve already lost time since I got home.”  _God, why do I keep giggling, I sound like a high schooler._

 

“Oh, I Understand. Are We Still On For Saturday?” Sans asked eagerly, feeling giddy as she smiled up at him.

 

“Oh absolutely! I’m really looking forward to it!” Roxy exclaimed, giving a delighted wriggle.

 

“Me Too!” Sans agreed. There was an awkward silence as they looked at each other, cheeks flushed and eyes shining.

 

“Um, Well, Sleep Tight, And Good Luck With Your Studying!” Sans grinned, kicking himself for his lack of eloquence..

 

“Oh! Yes! Thank you again, Sans! I, uh, I don’t know what to say, this was beyond sweet of you.” Roxy smiled bashfully.

 

Sans chuckled as he waved it off, “It Was My Pleasure! Have A Good Night, Roxy!”

 

“You too, Sans!” Roxy watched as Sans jogged away with a big smile on his face, and her heart thumped against her ribcage like a hammer against an anvil.

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

(Wednesday night)

 

(Coffeegirl) _Hey Sans, how was your day?_

 

**_BlueBoy is typing…._ **

(BlueBoy) IT WAS GOOD. HOW WAS YOURS? DID TEMMIE TAKE YOUR KEYS AGAIN?

 

(Coffeegirl) _No, but she did hide inside the house for nearly an hour, without telling me. I thought she had run away, and lost my mind with worry. I nearly phoned the police, but then I remembered that Asgore told me about her love of butterscotch candy, and I had bought some the day before, just in case. I managed to get her to come out with that before I panicked enough to call the police._

 

(BlueBoy) DON’T FEEL BAD, YOU’RE NOT THE FIRST PERSON SHE’S DONE THAT TO.

 

(Coffeegirl) _For real?_

 

(BlueBoy) YUP! YOU’RE THE FIRST PERSON BESIDES CHARA TO GET HER TO COME OUT ON HER OWN, WITHOUT GETTING THE POLICE INVOLVED. SO YOU’RE DOING GREAT, JUST LIKE I KNEW YOU WOULD!

…

(BlueBoy) ROXY? ARE YOU OK?

 

**_Coffeegirl is typing…_ **

(Coffeegirl) _Thanks for saying that… I really needed to hear that._

 

(BlueBoy) ...IS EVERYTHING OK THERE?

 

(Coffeegirl) _It’s fine… it’s just my brother is driving me bonkers. He’s refused to clean up any of his stuff since he moved in. He won’t turn down his music when I ask, and he’s been keeping me up at night while he plays videogames. I haven't slept well at all._

 

(BlueBoy) THAT’S AWFUL! HAVE YOU TALKED TO HIM?

 

(Coffeegirl) _yeah, and he’s apologized, but he’s not doing anything differently._

 

(BlueBoy) DOES HE WORK OR GO TO SCHOOL?

 

(Coffeegirl) _No, neither_.

 

(BlueBoy) THEN HE HAS NO BUSINESS TO BE SO DISRUPTIVE WHEN YOU HAVE BOTH! PAPYRUS IS AN AWFUL HOUSEKEEPER, BUT HE AT LEAST RESPECTS MY BOUNDARIES WHEN I TALK TO HIM. YOU GOTTA TELL YOUR MOM, DON’T KEEP IT A SECRET, OTHERWISE THAT WILL JUST CAUSE PROBLEMS FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD.

…

(BlueBoy) ROXY? I… I’M SORRY, I HOPE I DIDN’T OFFEND YOU, OR OVERSTEP MY BOUNDS. I KNOW I HAVE A BAD HABBIT OF DOING THAT TO PEOPLE.

 

**_Coffeegirl is typing…_ **

(Coffeegirl _) No, you have nothing to be sorry for at all! Actually, you're right, and your advice is great, I’m just really tired. All this homework is stressing me out, and I haven’t been able to sleep well with him here._

 

(BlueBoy) I’M TRULY SORRY, ROXY.

 

(Coffeegirl) _It’s ok, Sans. Like I said, you have nothing to be sorry for, and I'm so happy I have you as a friend. I’ll talk to my mom, like you suggested. Hopefully, he’ll listen to her. Thanks for your encouragement. It really means a lot to me._

 

(BlueBoy) OF COURSE! IT’S THE LEAST I CAN DO!

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~

(Thursday night)

 

(BlueBoy) HELLO ROXY! HOW ARE THINGS?

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

Roxy glanced at her phone as it dinged at her, her eyes red with tears and her breath huffing from her lungs in wracking sobs. She curled in on herself when she saw it was Sans. She didn’t want him to know she was busy crying like a child, and she didn't trust herself to respond in such a way that would hide her present state.

But as her phone dinged again, she couldn’t help but open the message up. Sans had taken a selfie, his face fixed in an adorably exasperated expression as Papyrus photobombed him in the background, a pop tart clenched precariously in his jaws and one of those thick glasses with a fake nose and mustache attached to it taped to his face.

The picture had a caption that read ‘HELP ME’.

In spite of herself, Roxy giggled and although she still felt awful, she quickly texted Sans back, feeling somehow lighter, if not happier.

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

(Coffeegirl) _Poor you ;)_

 

(BlueBoy) YES. I AM TO BE GRIEVOUSLY PITIED. BUT IN ALL HONESTY, ARE YOU OK? YOU WORRIED ME.

 

(Coffeegirl) _Yeah, I’m ok. I tried talking to my mom… she told me that I needed to work things out with Tristan myself, since we’re both adults. So, uh, I guess I’ll just never sleep again._

(BlueBoy) ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! THAT’S INSUFFERABLE! SHE MOVED HIM INTO THAT HOUSE WITHOUT EVEN GIVING YOU NOTICE, AND NOW THAT THERE’S CONFLICT, SHE WON’T ACT AS A MEDIATOR?

 

(Coffeegirl) _Yeah, that’s about the gist of it_

 

(BlueBoy) THAT’S MESSED UP. AND TRISTAN REALLY WON’T TRY TO WORK THINGS OUT WITH YOU?

 

(Coffeegirl) _Well, not so far. It’s only week one, but, god, I’m exhausted. I’ve only been able to get five to three hours of sleep each day. I feel like I’ve been going nonstop all week. Thank god it’s almost Friday. I feel like I could sleep all weekend._

 

(BlueBoy) THAT'S DEFINITELY NOT HEALTHY FOR A HUMAN AT YOUR AGE.

 

(Coffeegirl) _Not to disagree with you, but how do you know what’s healthy for a human my age, Mr. Skeleton? ;)_

(BlueBoy) I-UH, I’VE RESEARCHED. BECAUSE OF TOTALLY LOGICAL AND NOT-AT-ALL CREEPY REASONS THANK YOU VERY MUCH.... I SWEAR.

 

(Coffeegirl) _lol, I’m sorry, I was just teasing you. Man… I wish I could move out. But rent is so expensive. Even with my pay increase, I don’t think I could afford an apartment._

 

(BlueBoy) YOU DON’T KNOW ANYONE YOU COULD SHARE RENT WITH?

 

(Coffeegirl) _My friend Kelsey is living with her… wait, no, that’s not true, she kicked him out. She was living with her boyfriend, but they recently broke up… I could ask her if I could move in with her… Thanks, Sans, I hadn’t even thought of that!_

 

(BlueBoy) MWEH-HEH, NO PROBLEM, ROXY! GLAD I COULD HELP! ALTHOUGH… I’D BE SAD TO LOSE YOU AS A NEIGHBOR.

 

(Coffeegirl) _That would be upsetting to me as well. But, maybe things will work out with Tristan. If not, I’ll talk to Kelsey. Man, my bruises are killing me._

 

(BlueBoy) BRUISES?

 

(Coffeegirl) _Oh, you didn’t hear? Temmie locked me out of the house today. She said she didn’t mean to, and maybe she didn’t, but given her track record, I’m a little skeptical. Anyways, I had to find an unlocked window, and break in without damaging the house. I managed ok, but I got some bruises. Thankfully, I was wearing jeans, so I didn’t get scratches or cuts._

 

(BlueBoy)I’M SO SORRY TO HEAR THAT! DO YOU NEED SOME MONSTER FOOD?

 

(Coffeegirl) _Oh, no, it’s ok, it’s no big deal. Not my first rodeo, I just wish I had remembered Papyrus’ lecture about Monster digestion, because the whole reason I was outside and Temmie was inside was because she said she had to go to the bathroom. I didn’t remember until I was already locked out._

 

(BlueBoy) OH. OH BOY. TEMMIE KNOWS BETTER.

 

(Coffeegirl) _I’m sure she does. But, to be completely honest, I prefer her company to my brother’s right now, because at least I know where I stand with Temmie. It’s kind of funny, but I’ve enjoyed my time with her, because even though she’s rude and she’s been a trouble-maker, she’s interesting and she’s kind of funny, when you sit down and talk to her. I hope I can figure out why she’s been so mean to her caretakers._

 

(BlueBoy) THIS GOES WITHOUT SAYING, BUT I’M PROUD OF YOU, ROXY. YOU’RE DOING GREAT!

 

(Coffeegirl) _Aw shucks, you’re making me blush. ;) How is Papyrus, by the way?_

(BlueBoy) OH, WELL, ABOUT HIM… HE’S BEEN VERY BUSY IN HIS LAB. I CAN TELL YOU MORE ABOUT IT ON SATURDAY, IF YOU’D LIKE.

 

(Coffeegirl) O _h, I don’t mean to pry. If it’s personal, please, don’t let me be a nosy busybody._

 

(BlueBoy) OH, IT’S NOT THAT, IT’S JUST TOO MUCH TO TEXT. I’D FEEL BETTER ABOUT TALKING TO YOU ABOUT IT IN PERSON.

(Coffeegirl) _Say no more! I’m super excited, can’t wait to hang out!_

 

(BlueBoy) ME TOO!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there's this really awesome youtube comic dub that was posted a few days ago by SuperShadic X250, on a comic by the insanely talented Skesgo. It's short, it features Blueberry, giving a motivational talk to the viewer, and it's my favorite thing right now. So...I'mma leave the link to it here, for anyone interested.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9vQcVqc7Kk
> 
> ALSO! I drew a picture of Wingdings! If interested, you can find it on my tumblr here:  
> https://halcyonmars-blog.tumblr.com/post/184947146470/whats-there-to-say-its-fan-art-undertale-fan


	13. Spine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roxy and Temmie strike a bargain. Papyrus reveals some backstory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's another long one. Buckle up, we're going in!

“Huh… you don’t look so good, Weenis Girl.” Temmie commented as Roxy showed up a half hour early that Friday, dark circles under her eyes.

 

Roxy nodded stiffly, no snappy comeback on her tongue. She’d gotten less then three hours sleep that night and it was extremely obvious that she was exhausted.

 

“Indeed, are you alright, Roxy?” Asgore took notice, his fatherly instincts kicking in as he observed the frazzled manner in which she walked.

 

Roxy jerked a little, as he addressed her and shook her head, “I’m ok, I just didn’t sleep well last night.”

 

“Hmm. I know this is a little unorthodox, but perhaps, some healing magic would do the trick? Of course, you must try to sleep, as that is what is natural for a human, but just for today, I can use some of my magic to give you a respite.” Asgore offered with a kind smile.

 

Roxy was about to protest when she remembered the healing tea that Grillby had given her and she reluctantly nodded, “That… that sounds wonderful. Thank you, Asgore.”

 

Asgore very gently laid his giant paw on her head. Green wisps of color swirled from his being, surrounding and absorbing into Roxy like tendrils of vines and she felt herself invigorated and rejuvenated, the tiredness leaving her and being replaced by alert energy.

 

"That was absolutely amazing. Thank you so much, Asgore. You must be an amazing doctor with that ability." Roxy laughed a little.

 

"You'd be surprised, magic isn't always the answer. I've learned so much about human anatomy and functions." Asgore laughed a little as he added, "I have much more to learn, but I'm very happy in my field."

As Roxy as Asgore spoke, Chara observed them out of the corner of her eye, sipping some hot tea and contemplating. Roxy hadn't quit, but she'd started arriving more haggard looking each morning. Chara glanced at Temmie, who shrugged, _Don't look at me._

Chara just chuckled softly, as she finished her tea, glancing at the clock. Sans was late.

 

_That's weird, hope he's ok-_

However, even as she was thinking this, Sans knocked on the door and walked through it, flustered.

 

“Chara, I’m So Sorry I’m Late, I-“

 

He paused, as he saw Roxy, becoming even more flustered.

 

“O-oh Hello Roxy! What A Pleasant Surprise! ”

 

“Hello, Sans!” Roxy greeted with a blush and a faint smile, her heart jumping into her throat at the sight of him.

 

Her crush hadn’t gone away, in fact, it seemed to be growing, at an alarming rate, which agitated her to no end. Ever since Monday, when he'd taken her to school, she would find her thoughts inexplicably drawn to him. Her pulse quickened, every time she got a text from him, or caught sight of him, and she had to fight with herself in moments when she had to concentrate, because if she didn’t, she would find herself thinking of her kind, energetic neighbor, Sans the Skeleton.

 

Roxy had thought she would _faint_ , on Wednesday, when she’d caught a glimpse of him returning home from his job at the gym, his shirt sweaty and clinging delightfully to his ribcage.She paused, staring in awe and sudden...  _longing_ that shocked her. With a grimace, she rolled her tongue back up into her head and berated herself.

 

_WHY AM I LIKE **THIS**?! WHY? HE JUST NEEDS A FRIEND WHY DO I HAVE TO DO THIS TO MYSELF? WHAT **THE FUCK** IS WRONG WITH ME!!?_

Thankfully, Temmie _hadn’t_ noticed her crush yet, and this was something the shy human was very grateful for.  

Back to the present…

 

Roxy glanced cautiously at Temmie from the corner of her eye as they both sat at the table, working on their respective homework in a somewhat comfortable silence. Well, it was comfortable for Roxy, as this was the most peace she’d gotten this week.

 

Temmie muttered angrily to herself as she sat, reading her history book.

 

Concerned, Roxy looked up and queried, “Everything alright, Tem?”

 

“NO.... Human history is just  _so_ boring!” Temmie replied blandly, her expression dead with said boredom.

 

“B-boring?! How could you say that? History is full of _things_! Like wars, massive struggle for power over the _planet_ , tales of love lost and won, philosophers, martyrs, soldiers-“ Roxy paused as she saw the shrewd look in Temmie’s eyes.

 

“Er, what?”

 

“So, in order for something to be exciting, there has to be violence?” Tem questioned with a strange look in her face.

 

“…Noooo.” Roxy squinted before grinning awkwardly, “I DID mention the philosophers, right? And ART! Art history is _really_ cool!”

 

This actually seemed to catch Temmie’s attention and Roxy honed in on that very quickly, as she saw an opportunity to interact positively with the negative doll-monster, so they took a brief break from their studies as Roxy regaled Temmie on the very first art that was discovered on the walls of caves, pictures of animals, herds of cattle, telling stories of a struggle to survive and thrive.

 

“It really makes you think, if they were so busy trying to live, how could they find time to draw these things, ya know?” Roxy murmured, showing Temmie pictures from her art history book.

 

Temmie chewed her lip absently as she muttered, “It’s hard to imagine not drawing out of _boredom_. That’s why _I_ draw.”

 

“Hmm…. Maybe people who _did_ have the time and prestige for it drew these things then? Like… important members of tribes who had some semblance of wealth and status?” Roxy pondered.

 

Temmie shrugged again, “Or maybe they just… didn’t want to be forgotten. But that’s ironic, because no one has ANY idea on _who_ drew these things. They were forgotten anyways.” Her tone became slightly quiet, a little bitter even.

 

“Forgotten, but not _lost_. After all, their art is there, captured and admired for as long as that cave wall will last.” Roxy pointed out with a hopeful smile.

 

Temmie snapped her gaze to Roxy in surprise. That... that response was way too on the nose for what she had been thinking privately. With a scowl, Temmie closed the art history book.

 

“Ok, ok, enough of the philosophical shit. I’m gonna get back to my history book. You said we could go out if I finished all my homework, right?” Temmie said in a decisive tone. It was less of a request and more of a demand.

 

“Yup.Too bad it’s not Tuesday, we could have gone to the museum. I guess we could go to the park, or-“

 

“Why is Tuesday significant?”

 

“Oh, people can get into the museum for free on Tuesday!” Roxy replied with a grin, winking, “When you’re a poor college student like me, you learn to appreciate the _heck_ out of free stuff. Heh.”

 

Temmie only shrugged, cocking her head as she turned to her history book, muttering, “You are _so_ weird.”

 

“Yeah, I’ve heard.” Roxy grinned as she turned her attention back to her homework.

 

Temmie watched her out of the corner of her eye, taking notice of the way Roxy’s face squinted when she concentrated.

 

The human seemed very focused on what she was doing, so, very quietly, Temmie ‘blinked’ away, to the door where Roxy’s purse was.

 

Temmie wasn’t quite like Papyrus or his brothers, who all had powerful talents for manipulating time and space and the in-between that they referred to as “The Void”, but she did have a peculiar ‘talent’. She liked to call it ‘blinking’ and it was basically a quick warp to a place that was in her line of vision. When Chara and Temmie had started watching Doctor Who, she had felt an immediate connection with the Weeping Angels, who seemed to travel the same way she could, with the only difference being that she could move whether she was being watched or not.

 

It had something to do with the accident in the lab that had caused her… _resurrection/creation_ to begin with.

 

Waking up in the body of a doll had not been part of her plans after her death.

_Death had not been in my plans at all._

 

Temmie’s thoughts were slightly disjointed at that, but she brushed it off curtly as she quietly rummaged through Roxy’s purse.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

Temmie looked up, right into Roxy’s inquisitive face and sneered, unabashed.

“Is that a trick question?”

 

Roxy sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, clearly agitated. Temmie grinned, _at last, a reasonable reaction!_

 

“Temmie, if you want to know what’s in my purse, all you have to do is ask. And… also, I would appreciate if you would not take my things without asking. The house I live in isn’t mine, I’m renting it, but that means that I am responsible for what happens to it. Understand?”

 

Tem's face quirked into a scowl, “Do you think I _care_ about your stupid house?”

 

“It doesn’t matter whether you care or not. You have to show courtesy to people, if you want them to show courtesy to you.” Roxy replied, with as much patience as she could muster.

 

“You're just as dumb as I thought! Showing courtesy doesn’t guarantee that the same will be given!” Temmie snarled, her face turning ugly, “People will _always_ take advantage, no matter _what_ you choose to do!”

 

Roxy’s eyes softened and she sat down heavily on the floor, in an air of defeat, next to Temmie as she took the purse from the cat-sized doll-monster and dumped the contents out onto the floor, surprising Temmie once again.

 

“I’m not saying to be naïve, Tem. Of course, it’s good to be cautious. But if you go out so dismissively, then you completely destroy the chance that you have of meeting _good_ people. And if there’s one thing I’m convinced of, after meeting you, Chara, Asgore, Sans and Papyrus, it’s that there are still good people worth knowing in the world.” Roxy gently admonished, arranging her stuff for Tem to see.

 

“I normally like to keep my purse private, but you seem to have a fascination with it… so, let’s clear the mystery, huh?”

 

Tem looked at the things on the floor frowning. This… was not what she had expected or wanted.

 

“You have the most boring purse I’ve ever see-wait… what is that?” she demanded, pointing to a large, red marble.

 

Roxy chuckled,” It’s a charm my little sister gave to me. She told me it would protect me when I’m out and about.”

 

“… You have a sister?”

 

“Yup. Her name is Stacy. She’s 10 years old and the baby of my family. She’s really cool and mature for her age. Waaay more mature then I was at that age, that’s for sure.” Roxy smiled softly, laughing to herself.

 

"When I moved out, she gave me this marble, and told me that I'd have good luck, if I kept it with me. So, I keep it in my purse and... it's like she's always here with me."

 

Tem frowned as she looked at the marble. It was very pretty, mostly clear except for the red glass in the center.

“Whatever. Luck isn’t real.” Tem sneered as she put the marble down, but her expression had softened.

 

_Frisk! Look! We’ve got matching lockets! This means that we’ll be friends forever, dude!_

 

Roxy grinned down at her, unaware of Temmie’s reminiscing as she chuckled, “Well, to be honest, I think luck is just unexplained science. You ever heard of _probability?”_

 

“… No?” Temmie pulled a face, scowling, “I’m only in high school, nitwit, I haven’t even begun to _think_ about colleg yet!”

 

Temmie slapped a paw to her mouth, her expression grimaced as Roxy turned a slow stare at her.

 

“Did… did you just-“

 

“Don’t!” Temmie warned.

 

…

 

“You know it’s pronounced ‘college’, right?” Roxy grinned, and Temmie shrieked, grabbing a newspaper that had been dropped off by the door and smacking Roxy in the leg with it. Roxy laughed harder, the newspaper didn't even hurt. 

“Stop! (SMACK!) Laughing! (SMACK!) It’s not funny! (SMACK, SMACK, SMACK!)”

 

“Ok, ok, I’m sorry… “ Roxy took a deep breath and then winked, muttering under her breath, ”it’s a little funny.”

 

Temmie scowled as she scooped up the contents of Roxy’s purse and began putting it back, muttering, “Ya know, you could have just told me to get the heck out of your stuff like a normal person. You _really_ don’t have any sense of personal boundaries, huh?”

 

“Well, no, I do. But, between you and me, I give some of those up when I take a care-taker job.” Roxy admitted. “But, hey, you started it by rummaging through my purse. If you’re trying to prank me, I’d advise you to use more head game sort of things, rather then taking my personal belongings.”

 

Temmie quirked a brow, “You are so weird.”

 

“I’ve heard. Ready for me to quiz you on your history?”

 

“… Let me read for 10 more minutes, then you can quiz me.” Temmie frowned, growing bored with her attempts to get on Roxy’s bad side. That, and the memories that Roxy had triggered in her had been… something.

 

By the time Temmie finished her homework, it had taken longer then usual, and Roxy frowned as she checked the time.

 

“If we hurry, we can make it to the park.”

 

“… Naw, I don’t want to go.” Tem huffed.

 

“Well, if you’re sure. The weather’s gonna be getting cold soon, it’d be best to go while it’s not freezing.” Roxy chuckled.

 

“Maybe next week.” Temmie shrugged nonchalantly, “Let’s go outside and draw on the sidewalk again.”

 

“Alright.” Roxy nodded, surprised. This was the first time that Temmie had suggested going outside to draw on her own, “That sounds like a great idea!”

 

And so, Roxy and Temmie spent some leisure time drawing outside, coloring the sidewalk after their studying.

 

“Man, those are so good!” Roxy murmured, as she took her eyes off her own artwork to look at Temmie’s artwork.

 

“Thanks. Too bad I can’t say the same about _yours_.” Temmie stuck out her tongue.

 

Roxy snorted, “Hey! It’s _fun_ , which is _all_ that matters to me!”

 

Temmie shook her head.

Ok. This had gone far enough. It was time to squash this right here and now.

 

“Stop that.” She spoke flatly.

 

“Stop what?” Roxy had turned her attention back to her picture, smiling to herself. This infuriated Temmie further and she growled, drawing Roxy’s concerned and startled gaze.

 

“Stop _acting_ like I’m just _playing around_ with you when I insult you!” Temmie snapped, “I’m _not_ your friend, and I _don’t_ like you!”

 

Roxy was quiet as Temmie continued, her face growing ugly and distorted,” As if _anyone_ would actually like _you_! I bet the real reason you became unemployed was because your bosses couldn’t _stand_ you! You’re insufferably stupid! And _pathetic_! You don’t even NEED anyone to put you down because you put yourself down all the time!”

 

The spiteful words hung in the air and Roxy actually bowed her head down, avoiding looking at the angry doll.

 

Temmie smirked at this reaction. At last! Maybe this was it! Maybe Roxy would get up and leave today!

 

“Tem, it’s ok.”

 

Temmie bristled, her excitement halted, “What did you say?”

 

Roxy smiled gently as she looked back up, although her face was red and it did seem like there were some tears in her eyes, she spoke softly, “Look, whatever you’re feeling, it’s _ok_. I don’t know why you’ve been having such a hard time, but you have to know that whatever is going on, it’s _ok_ for you to feel the way you do.”

 

Roxy shrugged a little sternly as she added,” It’s not really ok to lash out at others the way you do. And, I’m sure you don’t like me, and that’s ok too! It really is! I just want you to understand that I only want to help. I want to help you, Chara and Asgore.”

 

Temmie frowned and sneered, “C’mon, drop the _fucking_ act, Weenis Girl. Who do you think you’re fooling? You’re only here for a _job_. You’re not here because you actually _care_ about my family! You’re just like everyone else, you’re here for the fucking _go_ ld!”

 

Roxy make a soft noise at that, “Well, I _am_ a college student, I don’t have a lot of money, and your dad-“

 

“He’s NOT my dad.” Temmie bit out.

 

“… Asgore is paying me better then I’ve ever been paid before. That much is definitely true and I’m not gonna insult you and try to lie about that. But Temmie, you need to understand something; if I wanted to work at a job where I didn’t have to _care_ , I could work at some other job- in the food industry, retail, literally anything else. I take my employment as a caretaker _very_ seriously, and I understand that being a nanny _means_ emotional commitment.”

 

Roxy frowned as she dug into her pocket for her phone and pulled it out.

 

She quickly scrolled and pulled up a picture, smiling faintly.

 

“Look, this is Tommy, the kid who called me a Smelly Old Vagina, and his little sisters, Lila and Sequoia.”

 

Temmie reluctantly looked at the three smiling faces on the phone. Tommy had a playful smirk, while his little sisters who were both very young, (toddlers really,) were both gritting their teeth in their best imitation of a wide, wide smile. They were all adorable, and something that caught Temmie’s eye was that Tommy and Lila were both darker skinned, while Sequoia had a pale complexion. The girls had impossibly curly hair, and Tommy… well, his hair was cut too short to tell if it was curly or not.

 

Roxy smiled fondly as she looked at the picture, her expression wistful and sad.

 

“I took care of them for a year and a half. Heck, I watched his little sisters learn to _walk_. Their family is military, and the reason they moved is because of their dad’s job. They _did_ ask if I could go with them, and part of me wanted to. But, my place is here. My family is here. I’ve never been anywhere else and I couldn’t bring myself to leave.”

 

Roxy put her phone away, adding softly, “Maybe it was cowardly of me, but I just couldn’t go.“

 

With a nostalgic expression, the human turned to look at Temmie, her eyes watery.

 

“Look, you really don’t have to like me. That’s ok! But, all I want is a chance to prove myself to you. I’m not the gold-grubbing human you’re making me out to be. If... you _still_ hate me by the end of the month, then, we can talk to Asgore, and I’ll leave, if that’s what you really want. I’ve only been here a week and I don’t think that’s enough time for you to absolutely decide that I’m a terrible person.”

 

Temmie frowned, raising a brow as she looked at Roxy, swiftly CHECKING her. To her surprise, she found that Roxy was absolutely sincere.

 

Scowling, she muttered, “Fine. You can hang out here for now… but you’re _gone_ by the end of the month! Understand?”

 

“If that’s what you want.” Roxy nodded, feeling an overwhelming sense of relief. That really was just fine, she could handle that.

 

“Deal.” Temmie stuck out her paw and Roxy shook it, chuckling, “Thanks for giving me a chance.”

 

“Don’t push your luck.” Temmie grouched.

 

“Alright… Wanna go get some ice-cream? I know a place that has butterscotch flavor.”

 

Temmie looked at her in surprise, “Is… are you _bribing me again?”_

 

“Is it working?”

 

“No.” Temmie snapped.

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

A few minutes later, Temmie was riding on Roxy’s shoulders, as Roxy took eager strides down the sidewalk in the direction of the ice-cream shop, telling a story about her previous job.

 

Temmie looked around, her paws on Roxy’s head, as she half-listened. She closed her eyes and let the breeze blow through her hair. Roxy’s optimism and stubborn kindness was almost as annoying as Sans… _almost_. But she had to admit… it was _funny_ how Roxy hadn’t quit yet . She wasn’t anything like Frisk, or Chara, with their obvious stubborn natures… Roxy’s determination seemed to be rather subtle.

 

“-And then, I was like, “hey, what’s that in your ear?” And Tommy was like, “what? There’s something in my ear?” And I reached out, and pretended to pull his lost sock out of his ear. And his eyes got SO WIDE, dude, like oh my god! He had no idea it was a prank!”

Roxy giggled, finishing her story.

 

“What an idiot.” Temmie muttered.

 

“Oh c’mon, he was just a kid! It really perplexed him! He was really skeptical of me, but I stuck to my story.” Roxy chuckled, “I just sort of considered it payback for when he spit in my coffee that one time.”

 

They had arrived at the ice cream shop by that time. Roxy froze, her eyes widening,

_Oh no!_

The woman, Alicia, who had slapped her last week at Grillby’s, was there, with two other women who seemed to be her friends.

They didn’t look up as she and Temmie entered, so Roxy tried to play it cool, swallowing as she ignore them. She practically tiptoed to the counter, Tem still on her shoulders.

“What would you like, Tem?”

 

 _Please, ice-cream employee, come out quick and save me!_ She looked around, but the employee was nowhere to be seen.

 

“Hmm… I really like butterscotch… but the chocolate looks good too.” Temmie murmured, peering around Roxy’s head with a skeptical eye at the ice cream flavors.

 

“Hey, I remember you!”

 

_Oh futternuckers!_

Roxy swallowed as she tried to ignore the woman. Temmie, however, turned to her curiously, “Are you talking to _me_? Or to Roxy?”

 

“Oh, so your name is _Roxy_ , huh?” Alicia hissed angrily, her three friends standing next to her as they crowded around her.

 

Roxy swallowed nervously as she turned to them with a nervous grin, “Oh, heeeey, I didn’t recognize you! How are you? Oh my, what _a lovely_ blouse you’re wearing!”

 

Alicia smirked, her eyes narrowed, “Your friends aren’t here to help you, now, idiot. Because of _you_ , my dad had to pay a buttload of money in fines and bail!”

 

Temmie frowned as she felt Roxy’s shoulders and head grow damp from nervous sweat and the doll grouched, “What are you talking about, lady? How the heck did _this_ idiot cause _you_ any sort of harm?”

 

“Ugh, is that monster your _kid?_ What are you, a monster _whore_?” One of Alicia’s friends asked in disgust as they all completely ignored the doll’s query.

 

Temmie instantly bristled and Roxy felt herself grow hot. She was _exhausted_ , and she was _so stressed_ out by everything that she had been put through this week, she no longer felt _anxious_.

 She felt _enraged._

The way this woman was acting was NOT going to fly. Not when they were attacking Temmie on top of everything else- _for no reason other than her species._

_Oh HELL NO_. _This kid is under MY watch and I’m not gonna let you treat her like that!_

 

“And so _**what** if she’s my kid_? What _business_ is it of yours? Exactly none!” Roxy barked, her volume ringing with authority.

 

Temmie glanced down at Roxy in surprise, _that_ response was unexpected. Roxy wasn’t denying that Temmie was hers and was completely unashamed.

 

“You’re _disgusting_! How could you go for someone outside of your own race?” Alicia declared with a smirk.

 

Roxy replied with a monotone deadpan, ”Oh, I’m so _sorry_ , you presumptuous _quim_ , but you’ll have to _forgive me,_ cause I didn’t _come here_ to socialize with _you_ , I came here to get some ice cream with my friend, not to get _harassed_ by a bunch of _racist_ s.”

At the word _racist,_ the group took a step back as Roxy took an angry step forward, her boldness growing as she launched into her lecture mode.

 

“Didn’t your parents teach you any manners?! What makes you think it’s fine to speak to someone you don’t even know like that? You have NO RIGHT to be so judgmental! And if you think I’m going to just _let_ you talk to us like that, you have another thing coming! In fact, you know what?! Don’t EVER talk to me or _my_ child ever AGAIN.”

 

There was a stunned silence before Alicia found her voice, sniping, “Bitch, at least we ain’t fucking monsters to get attention!”

 

“No _, you_  like to walk into _teashops_ to fucking ask for coffee and than _assault innocent bystanders_ when you don’t get your way!” Roxy replied with a sickly sweet grin.

 

There was a pregnant silence as Alicia’s friends turned to look at her in surprise.

 

“Alicia, you told us that was a lie.”

 

“It is! This bitch is lying again!”

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Up to this point, Temmie had been stunned by Roxy’s declaration, but now felt her anger growing at these hateful humans. She was about to unleash her wrath when a motion caught the corner of her eye.

 

Huh. Well then. Papyrus, apparently, was an employee here.

_No wonder he wasn’t up front, probably too busy being a lazy piece of shit, as usual._

 

However, Papyrus was currently at the door of the employee’s only area, his phone out and videoing the encounter surreptitiously. He winked lazily to Temmie and ushered sneakily with one hand for them to leave.

 

His right socket flashed orange and Temmie grinned. She hated him with a passion, but she hated these ignorant bitches even more, and she felt positive that Papyrus could properly pay them back, far better then she could, especially if he _worked_ here.

 

So, before things escalated further, she tapped on Roxy’s head, speaking out loud, “Hey, Roxy! I don’t know _why_ you brought me here. This place is full of fucking garbage. Let’s get ice cream somewhere _else_.”

“I’m so sorry, Temmie, you’re absolutely right. I know another ice cream shop. It’s a longer walk, though, is that ok?” Roxy looked over her shoulder up at Tem, who grinned.

 

“Yeah. Boy, they should really take out the trash around here, instead of letting it stink up the place!” Temmie agreed, glaring holes at the women who had ganged up on Roxy.

 

“That’s right, walk away, you little monster bitch! And take your abomination kid with you!” Alicia called out flippantly, a nasty smirk on her face as Roxy walked away, face red.

 

Temmie half turned and flipped them off, sticking her tongue out as she shouted through the slowly closing door, “Hey, _cum-buckets_ , why don’t you go _fuck_ yourselves, since no one else will!”

 

“Why you-“

 

But Roxy took that moment to dash out of the door sprint down the street, grabbing Tem from her shoulders and protectively into her arms as she ducked out of their view.

 

“Oh fucking relax, Vanilla-Weenis, did you SEE those heels they were wearing? They’re not going to risk their ankles to chase us down.” Temmie rolled her eyes, but she stopped when she saw Roxy’s face.

 

“H-hey, why are you crying?”

 

“I n-not crying.” Roxy protested, even as she shifted Temmie in her arms to wipe at her face.

 

Temmie felt herself soften, unexpectedly, and she grumbled, “Oh for fuck’s sake, please stop. You’ll get my fur wet.”

 

“Heh, sure thing, Temmie.” Roxy chuckled, sniffling and adding softly, “I’m so sorry about that-“

 

“Hey, it’s not your fault they were a bunch of hoe-bags.” Temmie could have slapped herself. this was the exact opposite of what she wanted… still, she couldn’t deny that, when put on the spot, Roxy put aside her very visible anxiety to stand up for her.

 

“Do you want to go back on my shoulders?”

 

“Actually, I’d like to walk for now.”

 

“Alrighty, here you go.” Roxy put Temmie on the ground and they walked on, heading to the ice-cream shop that was further down the road.

Temmie glanced up at Roxy through the corner of her eye as she grumbled to herself, hating the warmth that was sprouting in her.

 

_No! She’s GONE by the end of the month! I don’t CARE how nice Roxy acts, I won’t let Chara keep going to school by herself! Not another day!_

 

8~8~8~8~8~8

 

The women sat back down to their ice cream as Temmie and Roxy vanished, each of them huffing and making irritated noises.

 

“What an ugly bitch!” One of them chortled.

 

“I know right? I bet she can’t get a date with a normal guy! Makes sense she would take what she can get from a _monster_!” Alicia agreed with an annoying laugh.

 

None of the woman saw an orange glow surround their dishes, but they DEFINITELY noticed when suddenly, their ice cream had been crammed down their shirts by an invisible force. They proceeded to shriek and scream as the cold food dripped down their bodies, jolting upright and rushing for the single use bathroom, all clamoring to get in first.

 

Papyrus chuckled to himself as he casually strolled out from the employee only area, observing the snotty women.

 

“Heh, heh, looks like the bathroom’s full of shit again.” he yawned indifferently.

 

“W-what?! How dare you?” Alicia spit, “I wanna see your manager!”

 

“Hmm… that’s an interesting story. Thing is, my _manager_ is another human. And she doesn’t like _racists_.” Papyrus replied, slumping against the counter.

 

Alicia blanched and was about to threaten him when the tall skelly chuckled loudly, holding up a hand and pointing at her, he smirked.

 

“I think I know who you are. Y’see, I’ve got a friend in the police department. She told me about some racist piece of shit that she arrested at Grillby’s… sounds an awful lot like _you_. If you continue to act like the cantankerous _bitch_ we all know you are, well, I could always give my cop friend a call and let her know you’re back at it with more _hate_ crimes under your belt.”

 

“Do it! I dare you! You don’t have _shit_ on me!”

 

Papyrus raised a brow before he straightened back up. The three humans took a step back when they realized just how tall he was. He rummaged in his pocket and pulled out his phone, holding it up to show them that he had their disgusting behavior recorded.

 

Alicia’s face twisted in an ugly grimace and snarled, “I’ll fucking scream! I’ll tell _everyone_ that _you_ fucking attacked me!”

 

“Naw, you’re definitely _not_ gonna do that.”

 

Alicia gawked as an older, tough-looking human woman came out from the employee’s only area, scowling, “Spooky, what have you gotten yourself into this time?”

 

“Sorry, Justine, I’m like a toilet, I attract a lot of crappy people.” Papyrus chuckled as he shrugged at the shorter human.

 

“Hey-!” Alicia was cut off by Justine’s harsh snarl as the older woman drew herself up with a cutting glare.

 

“ _Save it,_ you fucking twat-waffle _!_ We’ve got security cameras, and besides, that, I _heard_ what you were saying to my bony pal here. So why don’t you do us all a favor and kindly _fuck off_ somewhere else?”

 

“Come on, Alicia, this isn’t worth it.” One of the group muttered and Alicia glared as she snarled, “This place fucking sucks anyways!” as they finally filed out.

 

Papyrus watched the women leave and smirked, feeling himself sag just a little bit with relief. “Thanks for having my back, Justine. I’m really sorry about that. We just seem to keep losing customers because of me-”

 

“Oh for fuck’s sake, Papyrus, don’t be going _soft_ on me now.” Justine grumbled as she crossed her arms, “What the hell was _that_ all about anyways?”

 

Papyrus chuckled as he explained the situation, with Roxy, Temmie and the incident at Grillby’s.

 

Justine cocked her head, “Wait, so that lady is just _babysitting_ , but she didn’t tell that to those cunts? She was ok with them thinking the monster kid was _hers_?”

 

“Apparently.” Papyrus murmured.

 

He looked at the on his phone video, watching Roxy’s face as it changed, from fear to anger, as she staunchly defended Temmie.

 

That must have been weird for Temmie, normally, it was _Chara_ or _Sans_ defending her. Pap chuckled slightly, as he shook his head, amused by how Temmie had gone along with his plan. That was a first. Of course, he _doubted_ she cooperated out of the goodness of her heart… that was actually impossible, since she didn’t HAVE a heart.

Then again, neither did he.

 

“Maybe you’re not so bad, Rox,” he muttered, looking at the recording again with a raised brow and a faint smile.

 

Justine observed the way he was watching the woman on the recording and gave a cocky grin, “You got a thing for her, Spooks?”

 

Papyrus winced, pulling a face, “uh, no.”

 

Justine grinned, “Aw, c’mon, she’s kinda cute. Pretty face, nice ass, obviously sweet-”

 

“My _brother’s_ into her.” Papyrus tried to clarify, his cheeks starting to tinge orange at the implication as he unwrapped a sucker and stuck it into his mouth.

 

“And?”

 

Papyrus nearly choked on his lollipop.

 

Justine snorted, “Look, I get it, family is family, but you can’t let anything stand in the way of your happi-“

 

“Justine, _no_ ,” Papyrus grumbled, “I’m _not_ attracted to her!”

 

“Then why are you scrutinizing her as though you are?” Justine crossed her arms.

 

Papyrus stared at her with an annoyed frustration, but he could see clearly that Justine wasn’t going to back down. So, he leaned against the wall and glared at her, “ _Look_ , you’ve met Sans. What’d you think of him?”

 

“The guy’s a sweetheart.” Justine replied instantly, “So?”

 

Papyrus’s sockets narrowed. He couldn’t remember ever feeling this annoyed with Justine and snapped, “ _So_ , about a year after the barrier was broken and we moved to the surface, my brother fell for a human, and he fell hard. He would go far out of his way to do whatever she wanted.”

 

Papyrus’ voice shook as he snarled, “And in return, the bitch _broke_ him. Do you _understand_? She _shredded_ his self-confidence, she manipulated and _lied_ to him, gas-lit the _shit_ out of him, stars, she _fucked_ _him just for the bragging rights_ -!“

 

Papyrus forced himself to stop; he was trembling in rage, his socket flashing involuntarily with magic as ire twisted his SOUL. The desire to rain unholy retribution on that bitch was _still_ writhing inside of him, after all this time and he had to take a moment to push it back.

_It was my fault. I didn’t keep him safe._

 

Justine had gone eerily silent as Papyrus spoke, her eyes wide as she sucked in breath. This was honestly far more information then he had ever shared with her before and she felt her heart break for him and his poor brother before her sense of justice rose inside of her like a burning phoenix. Her eyes flashed as she growled.

 

“Tell me you beat the shit out of her.”

 

“Nope. Couldn’t afford to.” Papyrus smiled ironically as he pointed out, “I mean, think about it, a _male boss monster_ attacking a _small human woman_? If I had done that, it would have _ruined_ things for my whole race.” Papyrus growled.

 

Justine cracked a vicious smile.

“If you give _me_ her picture, _I_ can beat the shit outta her for you.”

 

Papyrus looked at Justine in surprise.  _Huh… There’s a thought._

The tall skelly scowled. No, he couldn’t let Justine ruin her life over some miserable cunt that they hadn’t even seen in two years. So he shrugged and winked at her.

“Where the fuck would I work if you got your ass thrown in prison?”

 

“You’d probably move on to better things.” Justine pointed out, but Papyrus barked a laugh as he shook his head, “Naw, I’d find something even more mediocre, Justine. You’d better stay where you are.”

 

Justine snorted as she looked back at the footage on his phone, her expression neutral. “Sorry for teasing you, and making assumptions, Spooky. I just… I want you to be happy. You deserve it, you know?”

 

“Aw, Justine, are you going _soft_ on me?” Papyrus simpered, chuckling as her softer expression immediately turned into a scowl.

 

“Oh go fuck yourself, dickless!”

 

“Huh, now _that_ sounds like a conundrum if ever I heard one!” Papyrus cackled evilly.

 

At this moment, they both heard the door ring out, announcing the arrival of a customer.

 

“Back to the grind.” Justine grumbled as she left the employees room.

 

Papyrus looked back to the video, saving it away, he realized that… he felt better, about Sans “befriending” this weird human. Sans had been texting her every night, had even rushed out the door to return Roxy’s keys to her, at a late hour earlier this week.

 

Papyrus had confronted him about that, but Sans had insisted, _“She’s My Friend, Papyrus!”_

_“You don’t know her!”_

_“I Understand That! I’m Not Stupid! This Isn't Like Last Time! She Didn't Ask Me To Do This, I Volunteered Because She Needs A Friend As Much As I Do!”_ Sans had turned blue, at his admission, and Papyrus had sagged, feeling awful.

 

_“You still treat him like a child."_

Wingding’s voice had echoed in his head then, leaving Pap resigned. So, he’d taken a step back, resolving to watch, to be patient, and to keep an eye on the situation. Of course, he’d gotten distracted with his work in his lab.

 

The fact remained; Roxy hadn’t quit on Asgore, and it was already a week, longer then he’d thought she’d last. There _had_ to be some _spine_ (nyeh-heh) to her, especially with what he’d just seen.

 

Papyrus clicked his teeth against his lollipop as he stuck his phone back in his pocket, his thoughts returning to his lab. What he’d discovered, these past days, was troubling.

 There was something… there was a _force_ keeping the eldest Gaster tied there. Papyrus had once theorized that it was the river, since ‘Dings seemed tied to it, but after an accidental change in his equation, he discovered that this was _not_ the case.

 He’d hit another wall, but _this time_ , he planned to go the underground, perhaps with Sans, to visit and speak with Wingdings himself. Perhaps their oldest brother could shed some light on this new revelation.

 

At this moment, Justine came in, huffing, “Fuck it, I’m closing the shop early. Wanna go to Muffet’s?”

 

“Sounds great. I’d say you’re a woman after my own heart, but, ya know, I don’t have one.” Papyrus winked.

 

Justine barked a laugh and shook her head fondly, “Goddamnit, Spooky.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	14. It's Not A Date!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans and Roxy go to Grillby's at last. Papyrus and Undyne make a discovery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was difficult to write at first, but I think I got it.

 

Sans rushed home, after his early Saturday morning class. He’d gotten one of his co-workers to cover his last afternoon class for him, a few days advance, and now, he was zooming home to get ready to pick up Roxy.

 

 _It’s Not A Date._ He reminded himself sternly, even as his SOUL thrummed with bubbling giddiness, _Just A Platonic Outing To Cheer Her Up And Celebrate Her Success!_

…

 

Sans felt his shoulders drop slightly. Nervous energy vibrated within him as he considered the past week and the tangled emotions inside of him. Roxy had been lurking in the corners of his mind, and that worried him profusely. It wasn’t that humans were so awful. Most humans he came across were ok. It was just… There was something _different_ about Roxy. She wasn’t _just_ polite, and she certainly wasn’t condescending; an attitude he’d come to recognize and accept as a way that most humans perceived him.

 

In spite of his best efforts to curb his excitement and contain his overwhelming font, it never seemed to matter- he was often talked down to, and treated in a childish manner, as though he had no understand of how the world worked. They had no idea just how untrue that was. At worst, he was treated like an overgrown child; at best, mild superciliousness that he was painfully aware of was thrown at him in a careless, dismissive manner.

 

Roxy, however, seemed to be radically different. When he’d met her, she’d seemed shy, yes, and was very polite, but there was a frank, candid sincerity in her behavior that stood out. Of course, it was only a week since he’d met her.

 

So why did his SOUL bubble the way it did every time he thought about her?

While Sans enjoyed Roxy’s company, he was also troubled by these things he was feeling. He didn’t want to get carried away again.

 

As Sans parked his motorcycle in the garage and rushed inside, Papyrus was waiting for him, a packed bag in hand.

 

“Heya Bro.” Papyrus grinned lazily, “I was hoping to catch you before I left. I wanna say thank you, for coming to pick me up last night. I didn’t mean to drink so much.”

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

_(Flashback Friday night)_

_Sans walked into Muffet’s bar and diner, cringing much less then he used to as the smell of fast food hit his nasal cavity. Sure enough, there was Papyrus, slumped over the bar, drooling orange magic and snoring loudly._

_Justine, Pap's boss and more recently, his friend, waved Sans over, looking a just a tad more sober then Papyrus. Sans always thought she looked like a fearsome pirate, with her many tattoos and piercings._

_“Heya Comic. How’s it hanging?” She grinned cheekily. Sans quirked a brow, cringing just a little at the use of his first name, but excusing it, since she was obviously sloshed._

_“Oh, It Doesn’t Hang At All.” He quipped playfully, as Justine starting hooting with laughter, “Sorry, sorry, Pap and I were having a totally inappropriate conversation earlier, guess I’m still on that mode.”_

_“Is He Ok? He Hasn’t Gotten So Drunk In Quite Some Time.” Sans queried as he came alongside his brother and slung the lanky skeleton over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry._

_“Eh, you should probs ask him that, when he’s sober. But, yeah, overall, I’d say he’s fine.” Justine grinned as she added, pointing a finger at him, “Soooo, I heard you’re into a pretty human!”_

_Sans blushed bright blue and grinned a little bit as he rolled his eyelights, “Mweh-heh, I Guess Papyrus Gave All My Secrets Away Again, Huh? You Know How He Likes To Exaggerate.”_

_“Oh, naw, I saw her today, and Papyrus told me then, before he started drinking, cause I thought HE was into the girl, but it turns out it’s you that’s into her!” Justine giggled, giving him a playful wink as she added vehemently, “I just want you to know that I support you one hundred percent! She’s a real sweetheart!” Justine smirked, looking so proud and happy, Sans didn’t have the heart to try to make any denials._

_Still blushing, Sans scuffed his shoe against the floor as he looked at the older woman before cautiously asking, “Say, Justine, You Gonna Be Ok? I Mean, Do You Need Someone To Take You Home? I Can At Least Help You Get An UBear.”_

_“Hmm? Oh, don’t worry about me, I’m actually very good at finding my way home when I’m drunk.” Justine chuckled, “If you can believe that.”_

_“Are You Sure?”_

_“Yeah, I’m sure, Comic. Take Spooky home, before he barfs all over you. Man, he really can’t hold his liquor. He only had like three beers.” Justine looked at Papyrus with a tender grin. “Thanks for your concern though, buddy. You’re a good man.”_

_“Very Well. Good Night, Justine.”_

_Muffet came out from the back, her five eyes narrowed as she saw the three. The bar was empty except the two drunks and Sans. Sans winced as he saw the enraged look in Muffet’s eyes._

_“Hello Muffet! I Was Just Collecting Papyrus!” He explained._

_Muffet nodded briskly as she looked over at Justine, who blinked and began grinning, “Heya sweetie. Are you a library book? Cause I’m checkin’ you out!”_

_Sans groaned, “OH MY GOD, JUSTINE NO,” As Muffet gave an unimpressed stare, “Justine, the bar’s closed. Go home and sober up.”_

_(End Flashback)_

_8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8_

 

“Oh, It… It’s Fine, Papyrus! You Haven’t Done That In A While. I Asked Justine If You Were Ok, But She Said I Should Just Ask You.” Sans replied, looking at his brother with concern.

 

“Oh, yeah, I’m fine bro.” Papyrus chuckled awkwardly, “Just had a little too much fun, nyeh-heh.”

 

“Er, Are You Going On A Sleepover?” Sans queried as he observed the bag in his brother’s hand.

 

“Er, yeah, about that, I’m going to visit Wingdings in the Underground, t’see if I can learn anything new. Undyne’s gonna go with me. We’ll be gone a few days, probably be back on Monday or Tuesday, ok?”

 

“Is Everything Ok?” Sans furrowed his brows. That was rare, for Papyrus to take Undyne to the Underground. He’d only done that during… some rather dark times.

 

“Everything’s fine, bro. I just need an extra brain to pick. Plus, Undyne specifically asked if she could tag along, something about needing to get out of the house for a while.” Papyrus chuckled, “Anyways, I know you’re going to meet Roxy. Have fun! Oh, and bro?”

 

“Uh, Yeah, Pap?”

 

“… I’m rootin’ for ya, Sans.” Papyrus winked with a laidback grin as he suddenly blipped from existence, exiting the house via the VOID.

 

Sans blinked. Had… had Papyrus actually wished him… luck with a girl?

 

He hadn’t done that in a _very_ long time.

 

Sans felt a grin quirking over his skull as elation spread through his being and quickly raced up the stair, taking the steps four at a time before enthusiastically leaping the last few, darting down the hallway to the shower, where he quickly stripped and washed the sweat off his bones. Despite his size, he was quick and agile, like a gymnast, a trait that always came in handy when sparring Alphys, who was all brute strength.

Right now, however, bubbles filled Sans’ SOUL, and he hummed happily as he dressed.

 

_Mweh-Heh-Heh, Papyrus Wished Me Luck On My Date! Which It’s Not! Not At All! Just An Outing... With The Girl I Have A Crush On....A Totally Mild, Innocent Crush!_

_…_

_Lord Give Me Strength._ Sans grumbled slightly, his face scrunching in a pout as he quickly dressed, grabbing his keys.

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Tristan slammed his bedroom door closed as he stalked heavily through the house, bleary-eyed and exhausted. He’d had another late night session playing online last night and now rummaged in the fridge, stepping over piles of his dirty clothes and shoes. He grunted at the stuff in the fridge, there was nothing he could just grab and eat. Everything stocked in there involved some sort of preparation.

 

There was a knock at the door and Tristan winced in surprise.

 

“Huh… wonder who that is.” He ambled over to the door and opened it.

 

Tristan was rather tall, a good 6.2 feet, but he had to blink in surprise when he had to look slightly up to meet the gaze of a blue-eyed skeleton.

 

“Oh, Hello! You Must Be Tristan! I’m Sans, I’m Roxy’s Friend And Your Neighbor From Down The Street!”

 

“You’re… you’re a skeleton.” Tristan said stupidly, blinking in surprise.

 

Sans gave a low chuckle and smirked.

 

“That I Am! Very Observant Of You!” he replied cheekily.

 

Tristan yawned, smirking, “Sorry, I, uh, I haven’t talked with many monsters. Uh, wanna come in? Make yourself at home, I’ll go get Roxy!”

 

“Thank you!” Sans smiled politely as he stepped inside, quickly observing his surroundings. The previous week, when he’d stopped by to give Roxy her backpack, he’d caught a glimpse of the house and it’s neatness. Now, however, that was a different story.

 

“ROXY! YOUR FRIEND IS HERE!” Tristan hollered.

 

There was a distant shriek and Tristan chuckled, “She probably slept in, she went to bed really late last night. Um, sorry if I was rude before, I just woke up myself. How’d the two of you meet? I didn’t realize she was friends with a monster.”

 

“We Ran Into Each Other Last Week.” Sans replied evenly,” She Works For Some Friends Of Mine.”

 

“Cool, cool.” Tristan nodded, “It was nice to meet you, but I gotta go and take care of this morning breath.” He chuckled, heading to the bathroom.

 

Sans stood, rocking on his heels a little bit, still somewhat nervous. He’d sent a text ahead of time, was Roxy really just getting up? He remembered how little sleep she’d gotten during the week and instantly felt guilt. Perhaps he should have rescheduled their outing for the afternoon?

 

His thoughts were discombobulated when he heard Roxy’s voice shout, “I’m so sorry!”

 

She came barreling down the hallway, tugging on her shoes and huffing, out of breath, “Sans, I slept through my alarm! I’m so, so sorry!”

 

Sans blushed; her chestnut hair was hurriedly brushed and looked soft and slightly wavy. The dark circles under her eyes were gone and her face was flushed in a much more lively manner. She was dressed in a band graphic t-shirt and blue jean shorts, one sock bright yellow and the other pale blue with ducks.

 

Sans held up his hands quickly, as he tried to hide his staring, “Don’t Apologize! You Probably Needed The Rest!”

 

“I… heh, yeah, I did.” Roxy admitted, blushing, “I feel much better, actually.”

 

“Good! Uh… If You Want, I Can Come Back Later, If You Would Like Some More Time-“

 

“N-no! I’m ready to go and get some breakfast and caffeine!” Roxy giggled, her stomach somersaulting.

 

“Very Well, Milady! Let Us Be Off!”

 

Roxy very happily took Sans’ offered hand, and they quickly left, Roxy cheering “YAY! I’m excited for another ride on your motorcycle!”

 

Sans blushed bright blue, his pupils bursting into stars as he laughed, “I’m Very Glad!”

 

He handed her his spare helmet and she eagerly took it and slipped it on before accepting his offered hand as she climbed on behind him.

 

“HANG ON TIGHT!” Sans commanded. He instantly felt exhilarated when Roxy’s arms encircle him tightly, her muffled voice replying, “Aye, sir!”

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Roxy was mortified that she’d slept in, but the way Sans had dismissed her apology, showing concern for her well-being instead just made her heart stutter in happiness.

_I think I may actually love you, Sans._

She hugged him tightly, as they drove down the road, the chill in the September air nipping at her and making her wish that she had worn jeans instead of shorts. At least she had remembered to shave her legs.

 

_For once, geez._

Yet another thing Roxy was self-conscious about. Shaving her thighs, where the dark hair stood out the most, was the biggest pain, too, because more often than not, she’d get razor burn, or ingrown hairs.

 

_It doesn’t matter, you’re not the only one with this problem, dummy._

She was surprised to find that Sans was quite warm, and she covertly snuggled into him, glad for the warmth.

 

_I’ll never get used to the fact that he feels like he has a body. Damn me and my filthy mind._

As Sans pulled up to Grillby’s, Roxy grinned eagerly, her stomach flopping like an oversized pancake in anticipation. She had been looking forward to this all week, it was like a dream that the moment had finally come.

 

Sans parked and held out his arm, keeping the bike steady as Roxy dismounted. Roxy pulled off her helmet and Sans had to laugh a little, her hair was all messy.

 

“What?” Roxy looked up at him anxiously, “Are you laughing at me?”

 

“NO! … Maybe A Little.” Sans admitted with a snicker as he reached out and gently smoothed her hair down, inwardly marveling at how soft it was.

 

Roxy blinked at his touch, her face slowly turning pink.

“Oh. Helmet hair?” she realized with an embarrassed chuckle.

 

“Yeah.” Sans paused, suddenly worried as he withdrew his hand, “I, I Fixed It, I Think. I Hope That Was Ok?”

 

“Oh, sure! I mean yes, I… yes, I was fine with that.” Roxy chuckled awkwardly, still pink as she took his hand, “L-let’s go in!”

 

Her thoughts whirled, _Holy crap, his touch felt so nice! I definitely wouldn’t complain if he touched my hair more often… goddamnit, Roxy._

Sans blinked a little, looking down at his hand clasped in hers as she pulled him towards the door. She was so much smaller then he was, but her grasp was firm. It was rather odd, generally, he was the one used to taking someone by the hand… it thrilled him, that she was just as eager to spend time with him as he was with her…. or, at least, that was how it seemed to him.

 

_Stars, I Hope So._

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Cinna Monet was sitting in her usual spot in the café when the door dinged, signaling the entrance of some customers. She looked up and saw her new friend, Roxy, holding hands with Comic Sans Gaster.

 

The bunny’s eyes burst into stars, as she inwardly squealed, _I knew it! My ship is sailing!_

Roxy grinned as she met Cinna’s gaze, waving excitedly, “Hello Cinna! How are you?”

 

“I’m doing pretty well! How about you two? On a date?” Cinna grinned, feeling a surge of happiness as both of them starting blushing, Roxy pink and Sans blue.

 

“N-No, We’re J-Just Celebrating Roxy’s First Week Looking After Temmie!” Sans replied in a stutter, his cheek-bones tinting blue, his smile sheepish.

 

Cinna’s eyes squinted shrewdly, as Roxy gave her a _cut it out_ look. Cinna just grinned, brushing off the look as she gushed.

 

“That’s so great! I’m proud of you, Roxy! But then again, I can’t say I’m surprised, who could resist someone as sweet as you? Right Sans? Roxy is just too cute!” Cinna commented innocently.

 

Sans stammered, “ Oh, Y-yes, Roxy Is Quite, Um, C-cute!”

 

“Hi Grillby! How are you?” Roxy called out quite loudly, as Grillby came out from the back of his shop, her face exploding in red at the fact that Sans had called her cute, even if he had been coerced into saying it.

 

The fire elemental waved, cheerfully, “Hello sweetie! It’s nice to see you again! You too, Sans. What can I get started for you?”

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

Sans sighed in relief at Grillby’s distraction, almost sweating. Cinna had returned to her studying, giggling to herself, but he had a feeling she knew that he had a crush. Cinna always seemed to have a knack for knowing those sorts of things.

 

_It’s Just A Crush, No Need To Be So Nervous._

 

On one hand, he appreciated Cinna’s overly exuberant encouragement, but, on the other hand he knew, deep down, he wasn’t quite ready, in spite of how he was feeling.

 

Besides that, he didn’t even know if Roxy was interested him like that. She was human, after all, no matter how friendly she acted. Sans quickly dismissed that line of thinking, refusing to let his past spoil his present.

 

Roxy had ordered the same tea she had tried last week, the Firewood tea, which matched coffee in its caffeine, as well as an Ember scone.

 

Sans ordered his favorite, an iced blueberry tea blend with notes of lemon balm raspberry that Grillby dubbed “Summer’s Beginning.”

 

Roxy had started rummaging in her purse as he was ordering, so Sans quickly whipped out his wallet, beating her to the punch with a saucy grin, “Didn’t I Say It Was My Treat?”

 

“B-but Sans, you’ve done so much for me-“

 

“I Promised This Outing To You Last Week, Don’t Make A Liar Out Of Me Now.” He replied with a soft smile and twinkling eyes.

 

Roxy blushed, putting away her purse; she smiled back, “Well, if you insist. Thank you Sans.”

 

“Don’t Mention It!”

 

They chose a table, across from where Cinna sat. Roxy faced towards Cinna’s direction and Sans sat with his back to the bunny student.

 

So he didn’t see Cinna giving Roxy flirtatious expressions and encouraging hand motions.

 

Roxy was literally about to die, trying to focus on Sans as she asked, “So, how is Papyrus?”

 

A troubled look came into Sans’ face and Cinna’s expression changed from flirty and teasing to serious and also flustered.

 

_That should keep her distracted for a little bit._

“Yes, About Him. He’s Returned To The Underground For A Few Days. He left This Morning, In Fact.”

 

“Oh.” Roxy blinked, “Why? Is there something wrong? I mean, I don’t mean to pry-”

 

“Oh, No, It’s Quite Alright. Y’See,” Sans paused before nodding to himself and continued, “We Told You About Our Older Brother, Wingdings. There Is An Unfortunate Reason That He Doesn’t Live With Us.” Sans admitted, his face taking on a grim expression, which looked rather strange on him.

 

Roxy’s heart seemed to thud, as she cocked her head and waited, keeping herself from jumping to conclusions. Sans seemed to look past Roxy, as he spoke, his voice strangely constrained.

 

“When The Barrier Broke, We Were All So Very Excited, To Finally See The Surface. Wingdings Was Just As Happy And Thrilled About Going To The Surface As The Rest Of Us. However, When he Tried to Exit With The Rest Of Us… He Found Himself Back In The Underground, In the Ruins, Where Humans Often Appeared When They Fell Into The Underground. It was Like A Weird Loop. He Would Try To Leave And Then Would Find Himself Back In The Ruins. We Tried So Many Times To Help Him Escape. Papyrus Tried To Bring Him To The Surface With His Shortcuts, But, All That Would Happen Is Papyrus And Wingdings Would Appear In The Ruins.”

 

Roxy’s face scrunched during Sans’ narrative, her eyes filled with perplexity and finally, as he paused to take a sip of his drink, she burst out, “that’s so weird!”

 

Looking down at the floor, she added softly, “That also sucks. Oh my God…so, he’s been stuck down there? For these last four years?”

 

“Yes.” Sans nodded grimly, sipping his tea, he added, in frustration, “Papyrus And I Visit Him As Often As We Can, But, You Know, It’s Not The Same.”

 

“No kidding. Wow. I’m so sorry, I… I didn’t realize.” Roxy murmured.

 

“Papyrus Has Been Working On Figuring Out Why This Happened. And Earlier This Week, He Made A Breakthrough. He Didn’t Tell Me Too Many Details, But He’s Gone To Speak With Wingdings, To See If He Can Learn Anything That Will Confirm What He’s Found Out.” Sans explained.

 

“I see. Wait, does that mean… oh man, this sounds so rude, but, does this mean that Papyrus is… a little more than he seems?” Roxy asked with a sheepish expression.

 

Sans chuckled, “Depends on what you mean. He used to be part of the scientific division in the Underground, Along with Undyne, The Royal scientist.”

 

“Oh! Undyne’s the one who designed that killer swing set in Chara’s backyard, right?”

 

Sans blinked before laughing, “Yeah, she did! But she’s done so much more! You know that new spray-on Wifi they’ve come out with?”

 

Roxy’s jaw dropped, “Wait, she invented that?!”

 

“Well, yes and no, the concept was out there, but apparently, she had the much needed brain power for actually producing it.” Sans laughed lightly, looking proud, “She also created the body that Napstaton inhabits.”

 

Roxy’s jaw dropped, “Oh wow! That’s so COOL!”

 

Sans chuckled fondly, “ Undyne Is Very Cool!”

 

As he looked down at his chilled drink, his shoulders sagged, and he softly admitted, “I Hope That They Can Figure Out How To Free Wingdings. I Do Miss Him. So Much.”

 

Roxy frowned, hesitating before reaching out and taking his hand, giving him a small smile, “ It’ll be ok, Sans. I’m sure they’ll figure it out.”

 

Sans smiled back, the touch comforting, and he blushed slightly, as he returned her smile, “Thank You, Roxy.”

 

He suddenly recalled what Justine had said last night, about seeing Roxy, and raised a brow as he asked, “This Is Off-Topic But Did You Go To The Ice Cream Shop That Papyrus Works At Yesterday?”

 

Roxy frowned, blinking.

“I, uh, I went to two ice cream shops yesterday, but I didn’t see Papyrus.”

 

“Huh. His Coworker Told Me That She Met You.”

 

Roxy frowned, “No, I didn’t, uh, I didn’t meet anyone that knows Papyrus, that I know of.”

She groaned, “I DID run into that awful woman that slapped me last week.”

 

“Oh No! She Didn’t Recognize You, Did She?”

 

“Unfortunately, yes, she did.” Roxy grumbled, “I felt so bad, I had Temmie with me.”

 

“What happened?” Sans seemed intensely interested and Roxy shifted uncomfortably, “Oh, uh, well, I mean nothing happened…. They were rude to me, and rude to Tem, so… I might have called them racists… and I might have called that woman a ‘presumptuous quim’… then I did what any sensible person does after they piss off a bunch of angry women.”

 

“Which is?”

 

“Fucking run for it.” Roxy grinned.

 

It then clicked in Sans’ mind, even as he laughed at Roxy’s quip.

 

_Papyrus was at work yesterday. He must have seen what Roxy did._

_That’s why they both encouraged me._

_They both approve of Roxy._

Warmth spread inside of Sans’s being and his pupils shone with stars as he looked at her flushed face and her cheerful smile.

_Maybe… maybe I can take a chance?_

 

“You had work today, right?” Roxy asked, laughing with him as she changed the subject.

 

“I Did!” Sans nodded enthusiastically.

 

“How was it?”

 

“Oh, It Was Excellent! I Always Enjoy Teaching, But Saturday Classes Are My Favorite! The Weekend Class Tends To Be Smaller, So I’m Able To Work Personally With More Individuals” Sans admitted with a soft grin, “I Think, During The Week, My Classes Have More People Who… Don’t Really Like Me All That Much. They Never Ask Questions Or Want Help, Even If They Need It.”

 

“That’s awful!” Roxy frowned in sympathy, “M-maybe they’re just shy?”

 

“I Suppose That Could Be It.” Sans replied, his face fixed with a furrowed brow, his mouth breaking into a grin, “Of Course That _Must_ Be It! I Don’t Know Why I Didn’t Think Of It… Before…” he paused, his eye lights shrinking slightly as a thought occurred to him.

 

Roxy frowned as she cocked her head at him, “what’s wrong, Sans? Was it something I said?”

 

“No, I… I Just… Mweh-Heh, Usually, I’m The Positive Voice In The Group. But… I Met Someone A Few Years Ago Who… Made it More Difficult For Me To Think Positively About Myself, And… Even Now, I Still Struggle, Without Even Knowing It.” Sans muttered, his cheeks turning aquamarine blue, “I Didn’t Even _Consider_ The Possibility That Some Of My Weekly Regulars Were Just _Shy_ … That’s so…awful of me.”

 

Roxy felt her heartbreak as he looked down, voice dropping noticeably in volume and spirit, and an expression of shame shadowing over his bowed head. She reached across the table resolutely this time, putting her hand on his arm in a warm, caring manner, waiting until he looked up, she spoke confidently.

 

“Hey, it’s ok. I had and… still have people like that in my life. The important thing is that you remember that those kinds of people are _toxic_. They won’t change and the only thing you can do is to ignore what they say and just keep being yourself! And Sans… I for one, think you’re pretty awesome.”

 

She let go of his arm, reaching to sort of hug herself with that one arm as she looked to the side shyly, “This may seem weird, but, even though I’ve only known you for a short time, I… you’re the kindest friend I’ve ever had! No one has ever been as concerned about me like you have been, and I’ve _never_ had the amount of fun with anyone except you! I… heh, where have you been all my life?”

 

Roxy giggled nervously as she turned her gaze back to Sans, her stomach turned in her gut, but the look on Sans’ face made her embarrassment worth it. He looked inspired, (no longer ashamed) and happy!

 

_He’s just so darn cute! And sweet! Who could have hurt someone as wonderful as this cute teddy bear?_

 

“I Feel The Same Way, Roxy. I’ve Never Met A Human As Nice As You, Except Maybe Chara, And Well, We All Know How Much She Likes To Tease!” Sans added with an adorable pout. Roxy swallowed as she noticed the way his face pulled and squished with expressions, unique for an apparent skeleton, the cute tilt of his teeth, the faintest glow from the magic tongue within and, and…

 

Roxy swallowed thickly. Oh god. Her heart was fluttering, her temperature was rising, and she quickly stood, “Imsosorryigottousethebathroomberightback!”

 

She bolted into the single use bathroom and locked the door, splashing cold water on her face. She took deep, deep breaths, looking at her reflection in the mirror, she scolded, “C’mon, Rox! Get a hold of yourself! He doesn’t even _like_ you like that! Why can’t you _just_ be his friend!? Stop being so _damn selfish._ ”

 

She took deep breaths until she felt herself calm down enough to rejoin him. Their tea was done by that time, and Sans and Roxy turned to small talk, talking about the latest Wonder superhero movie, what kind of music they enjoyed listening to, favorite colors, animals, and Sans told her some stories about the Underground.

 

Roxy listened in rapt attention as Sans told her about a trick Papyrus had played on him in a place called Waterfall with a telescope, pouting, “It took forever to get that pink ring off my skull!”

 

Roxy giggled a little, “What a prankster… I never would have pegged him for a scientist.”

 

“He’s Excellent At Misdirection, That Is Very True, And He Is Quite A Jokester. It Drives Me A Little Crazy At Times, But, He Really Is The Best Brother. In Spite Of His Laziness, He’s Always Been There For Me, When I Needed Him.”

 

Roxy smiled, mentally squealing at how cute Sans and Papyrus were. They had such a strong bond with each other, and it filled her with sadness to think that their bond with Wingdings was just as strong, the forced separation an even greater tragedy.

 

“I’m so glad. Family is important.” Roxy smiled softly. She frowned as she noticed a small group of monsters that had come in, of varying sizes, but none of them giant the way Sans, Papyrus, Asgore and Alphys were.

 

She leaned slightly closer, her cheeks a little red as she admitted, “Sans, I have a question, and it is super tactless. Is it ok if I ask?”

 

“Uh… I will tentatively say yes.” Sans looked nervous.

 

“Whenever I met you and Papyrus, you guys just looked so huge! And then I met Asgore, and he’s just giant! Like, it almost threw me off. But, Cinna isn’t that big, and Temmie is rather small. I just, uh-“

 

“OH! No, It’s Ok, There is A Reason For That, I Don’t Mind Answering.” Sans actually looked relieved as he quickly explained, “Asgore, Alphys, Papyrus and I are Boss Monsters! Boss Monsters Tend To Be Very Large, Because Of Their Magical Composition! Typically, Monster Kind Vary In Size, But Boss Monsters Will Always Be On The Larger Side, Because Of Their Magical Abilities And Strength!”

 

“I see. I did wonder about that.” Roxy laughed nervously, her face pulling in horror as Cinna took that opportunity to make an extremely lewd gesture with her hand and tongue in cheek.

 

“Ah, so! When did you say that Papyrus was supposed to be back?” Roxy squeaked, looking straight down at the table as she tried to NOT think about the implications of Cinna’s gesture, right after Sans had said that boss monsters tended to be _larger._

 

_OH NO I AM A DIRTY, DIRTY SINNER, OH GOD FORGIVE ME._

_Damn you, Cinna…_

 

“Roxy, Do You Mind If I Ask A Personal Question?”

 

“Oh, sure go ahead.” Roxy laughed, still red, “I think I’ve asked enough personal questions to earn you that right!”

 

Sans fidgeted a little before blurting, “I Didn’t Mean To, But, No Matter How Many Times I Add It Up In My Head, It Really Doesn’t Make Sense That Your Mother Would Ask Your Ex-boyfriend To Help Your Brother Move. I Was Just Wondering If There Was A Legitimate Reason For That?”

 

Roxy became very still, and she looked away as her cheeks flushed.

“Well, actually, yeah. I just hoped it wouldn’t come up. But, if we’re going to be friends, I guess you were bound to find out sooner or later.” She murmured.

 

Straightening her shoulders, Roxy cleared her throat.

“My Ex, David, isn’t _just_ my ex-boyfriend. He’s… also my stepbrother.”

 

There was a small exploding sound and Sans whirled, to find that Cinna had choked on her tea, coughing and sputtering.

 

Roxy turned bright red, “Now, hear me out. He _wasn’t_ my stepbrother when he and I were dating. I, uh, I really liked him, or, I thought I did. But the longer we were together, the more I came to realize that I was miserable with him. So, I broke it off, and he… tried to burn all our bridges. But, unfortunately for the both of us, it turned out that my mom and his dad, who were both single at the time… they were in love. And so, after David and I broke up, our parents got married.”

 

Sans blinked. And understanding dawned on him.

“Your Mom Asked Him For Help Because He’s Technically Family.”

 

“Yeah.” Roxy nodded, “He, uh, he’s back on speaking terms with my mom and siblings, but not me.”

 

“Wow, That’s… Extremely Awkward.” Sans shook his head.

 

“God you have no idea.” Roxy muttered angrily, “That’s the biggest reason I moved out. I can’t live in the house he grew up in. I just can’t, I’d rather die”

 

“No, No, That’s Completely Justifiable. “Sans commented.

 

“Well, anyways. Now you know. Feel free to run.” Roxy laughed softly, but there was pain in her voice.

 

“Why Would I Run?” Sans quirked his brows.

 

“Well, most of my other friends dropped me, after finding out that my stepbrother is my ex. It’s just... really weird and awkward you know?”

 

“Roxy, I’m Not Going Anywhere. What Happened Wasn’t Your Fault.” Sans replied firmly, “And I’m Here Because I Like You For You, Not For Your Family.”

 

Those words pierced Roxy’s heart. She stared at him, flushed and star-struck as he smiled at her, “And Really, If You Ever Need Rescuing From Family Functions, You Can Count On Me!”

 

“Sans, I… thank you.” Roxy felt like she could cry, and indeed, a few tears slid down her face.

 

Sans panicked when he saw that, holding his hands up, “Hey, Wait, No, Please Don’t Cry! I’m So Sorry, I Didn’t Mean To-“

 

“No, no, I’m just… I’m so happy I found a real friend.” Roxy blurted, wiping at her face furiously.

 

Sans smiled a little, reaching out to hold her hand, “Me Too.”

 

He squirmed before squeezing his sockets shut and saying in a rush, “Say, Would You Like Come Over For A Slumber Party Tonight? It’s Just Gonna Be Me And Alphys. She And I Were Gonna Do Some Light Training And Then Just Play Video Games And Watch Movies, Since Papyrus And Undyne Are Gone.”

 

Roxy blinked before a giant grin spread over her round face.

 

“O-oh! I’d love to! I need to finish some homework, but after I’m done, well, that would actually be great!” Roxy’s heart shot up into her mouth as she nodded furiously, causing Sans to laugh, in both excitement and relief.

 

After they had finished their tea, Sans and Roxy left, waving good-bye to Grillby and Cinna, who winked knowingly at them.

“I’ll text you later, Roxy!” Cinna called out with a grin.

 

Sans took Roxy back home, feelings fluttering in his SOUL as he felt her squeeze him from behind.

 

Was it his imagination, or was she squeezing him tighter then before?

He pulled in front of her house, after a smooth ride and Roxy smiled bashfully at him as he walked her to her door.

 

“Text me when you get home?” She asked softly, her heart thumping.

 

Sans tilted his head with an adoring smile, “Of Course! Oh! And Just Call Me When You’re Ready To Come Over, I’ll Come Pick You Up!”

 

“Ok! Er, I didn’t ask last time, so I will today; can I hug you?”

 

“Oh! Of Course! I Love Hugs! You Don’t Even Have To Ask!” Sans grinned and reached out to her. She wrapped her arms around him, marveling at the feel of his unaccounted-for-substance as he pulled her close, his manner caring and gentle as he held the tiny human, reaching to smooth her soft hair, ruffled from the helmet.

 

They pulled back after a brief moment and Roxy giggled a little. Her gut felt bubbly, but in a good way, and she felt like she was floating.

 

“Talk to you later!” She called out as Sans straddled his bike. He placed his helmet over his head, so she wouldn’t see him blushing and gave her two thumbs up before starting his bike and roaring away.

 

Roxy’s heart pumped hard in her chest as she walked into her house… to find herself once again face-to-face with her mother.

 

And her mom did NOT look happy.

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

“Man, I still get the c-creeps when I think of my old lab.” Undyne admitted, as she and Papyrus walked through the old underground, equipment packed up in bags. They had arrived at the entrance just ten minutes ago and had decided to walk, so that Undyne could take some readings on the magical energy residue that still lingered in the dark, cavernous prison.

 

“M’sorry, Undyne. I can’t imagine how hard that must have been to deal with.” Papyrus looked over his shoulder with sympathy at the thin, lanky fish.

 

“Oh, no, it’s o-ok, Pap. That was all my own d-doing. Besides, I’m n-not alone this time.” Undyne flashed him a weak grin, her fangs standing out ever so slightly in her sweet, nervous face.

 

They surveyed Hotland with silence a moment before continuing their walk.

 

“Hey, uh, you wanna tell me why you insisted on coming along for the full time I’m gonna be here? I know you don’t like being here.” Papyrus asked, genuinely concerned for his friend as he glanced at her in the corner of his socket.

 

Undyne shifted, slightly guilty as she admitted, “Al and I are going through a rough patch.”

 

“Oh.” Papyrus frowned as he turned to look over his shoulder, concerned for the sensitive fish, “Do you wanna talk about it?”

 

“Maybe later. Let’s find W-Wingdings first.” Undyne replied softly.

 

It seemed to be eerily quiet, and Papyrus began to notice that silence more and more, as they took a turn in Hotland and approached the river, putting their things down and settling to wait for Wingdings. Papyrus took out his box of cigarettes and lit one up.

 

“I thought you were trying to quit.” Undyne cocked her head and Papyrus shrugged uncaringly, but made no motion to answer.

 

They waited in silence. Five minutes passed. Then 10. Then 15.

 

Papyrus felt his soul chill as Undyne fidgeted.

 

“That’s weird, ‘Dings usually doesn’t take this long to show up.” He frowned.

 

Undyne shivered as she looked at the river, her haunted eyes narrowing. She looked at the T.P. Energy Reader In her hand, squinting. _No… that c-can’t be right!_

 

“Papyrus? I’ve g-got a bad feeling about th-this.”

 

Papyrus didn’t reply. She turned to look at him. He had dropped his cigarette, his sockets shrunk with shock.

 

Wingding’s boat was floating down the river towards them. But Wingdings was nowhere to be seen.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the cliff-hangers. ._.,


	15. Actions More Powerful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alphys and Sans talk and spar.  
> Slumber-Party Start!  
> Papyrus and Undyne begin the search for Wingdings.
> 
> Why IS Roxy's mother such a bitch?  
> Stories... we all got 'em.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is late. But better late than never.

 

Wingding’s boat came to rest against the platform gently, rocking strangely. Undyne frowned, as she noticed how listless the boat was… it seemed, in an odd way,  _disconnected_.

 

“Papyrus, does ‘Ding’s boat act like this when he’s not controlling it?” she frowned, sweat dripping down her spine.

 

“No, it’s usually… really lively.” Papyrus frowned.

 

Few knew this, but, in a way, Wingding’s boat was _alive_. It was almost a secondary piece of Wingdings, while retaining it’s own personality. The eldest Gaster refused to explain how or why this was, and Papyrus had never thought to ask. So, even when Wingdings wasn’t ferrying anyone, his boat  _hovered_  over the water, even shifted its shape at times. Now, however… it seemed listless, lifeless,  _cold._

 

With a grunt, Papyrus leapt aboard, balancing precariously as the boat rocked gently under his weight, rocking back and forth in the water and then, it began to  _sink_.

 

Papyrus shouted, alarmed, as the boat began to dip beneath the black water, leaping back out, his socket flashed, as he enveloped the boat in magic and hoisted it from the water, shaking with the effort.

 

_It’s heavy, why, why is it so heavy?_

Undyne gaped before moving aside, allowing Papyrus room to set the boat down heavily. The youngest Gaster panted, his sockets flared with orange magic, his jaw clenched as he looked inside the boat. Thick, black ooze was slicked through cracks that had formed in the wood. The flashbacks started and Papyrus didn’t think, as he grabbed Undyne’s arm and began to rapidly teleport through the Underground, checking all of Wingding’s normal haunts.

 

There was no sign of the tall, thin skeleton.

 

Papyrus jumped through the void again, only vaguely aware of Undyne’s shout, “P-papyrus! Stop! You’ll wear yourself out! Stop p-panicking, damn it!”

 

She gripped the skeleton by the shoulder, forcing him to look at her as she snarled, “P-papyrus, panicking isn’t going to do any good! We need to figure out if Wingdings left us a message… or maybe he’s not here. P-perhaps he freed himself.”

 

Papyrus took deep breaths, shaking, he glared at Undyne when he’d calmed down, grunting, “Do you really believe that?”

 

Undyne didn’t reply, as she stood to her feet, surveying where they’d ended up.

 

They were in a quiet spot, the back of Snowdin, just as it turned into waterfall. She frowned, adjusting her glasses, she held out her T.P. Energy Reader, squinting.

 

“Papyrus, there’s some negative photon readings here… and there were photon readings in Hotland too, an unquantifiable amount.”

 

“It’s worse than I thought.” Papyrus frowned, as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a sheet of paper with the readings from his simulations.

 

Undyne frowned as she began to follow the readings, letting her scanner lead the way. Papyrus followed her, his sockets flashing orange and gold as he stressed. Where could his brother be?

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Alphys grunted as she kicked down Sans’ door listlessly, angry beyond words. Undyne had sent her a text and hadn’t been there when she’d finally gotten home,

 

The text had been very curt and informative, with only one heart. Normally, Undyne would spam hearts and cutesy text slang, so the abrupt change in style was very obvious.

 

Sans looked over his shoulder as Alphys fixed his door back on its hinges, frowning “Alph? You Ok?”

 

“NO.” Alphys growled at him as her eyes shone with a look that Sans had come to know intimately, after seeing it on his own face so many times-

Heartache.

 

He swiftly grabbed his bandanna, tying it around his neck, he smirked, “You Wanna Talk About It… Or Spar?”

 

Alphys plunked her bag down on the ground as she summoned an ax to her hand, her eye flashing, “ON YOUR GUARD, ROOKIE!”

 

Sans materialized several hovering bones, grinning back, “COME AT ME, BI-Wait, We Need Space.”

 

Sans grabbed her hand phased them to an in-between dimension, where they could freely interact with each other, in the living-room, but they would be unable to do harm or damage the room itself.

Sans called it “the Ghost Town.”

 

“Can I begin?” Alphys grunted impatiently, as she hopped, to and fro from foot to foot, itching to swing her axe, her breath heaving in puffs of steam.

 

Sans grinned, his canines standing out, as he whirled the long bone staff he’d summoned, in front, behind and to the side, shouting at her as his sockets flashed, “No One’s Stoppin’ You Except Yourself!”

 

With a snarl of delight, Alphys thundered towards Sans, powerful legs pushing her forward at an incredible speed as she took her turn with vicious enthusiasm. Coming within range, her muscles bunched and flexed as she swiped high and then low in a dizzying pattern, roaring, “HHNYAAA!!!!”

 

Seamlessly, Sans nimbly ducked and jumped, using his bone staff for support before parrying her blows, summoning more bones from the air, he then took his turn, sending the bones down in a spiraling attack as he ran on ahead, whirling the staff in front.

 

Alphys grunted as she smashed through the oncoming bones with more summoned axes before using the ax in her hand to parry Sans’ strikes with his bone staff.

 

Flashes of green and cyan magic sparked with each strike, creating an electricity in the air. Alphys promptly swept her leg out, her kick and her tail swiping to trip him in a double whammy, but Sans quickly jumped high into the air to avoid both, rotating his bone staff to hit away the summoned axes Alphys had sent at him.

 

He landed in a crouch, standing defensively as he saw Alphys spring high into the air, bringing the ax down to smash through his skull in a powerful display.

 

Sans grinned cheekily as he jumped back into a handspring, touching down back on his feet as she buried her ax in the ground where he’d been standing a moment before. He snapped his fingers with a smirk, his left socket flaring cyan and yellow as three gaster-blasters warped into existence, firing in a dizzy sequence.

 

Alphys ducked and dodged, her eye flashing as she summoned a wall of axes and smashed them into the blasters. She huffed, the barest sheen of sweat beginning to build on her boney crest.

 

“That all you got, ROOKIE?!” she roared in defiance.

 

“I’M JUST GETTING WARMED UP!” Sans gave a challenging, sharp-toothed grin, as he joyfully dove back at her.

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

An hour later, the two combatants had stopped in a deadlock. Sans and Alphys were panting, their hands on their knees and sweat dripping down their bodies.

 

“Ok... I think I’m good.” Alphys grunted as she straightened and dissipated her axes.

 

Sans sent his blasters back to the void and took her hand. They phased back to their own dimension, Sans’ eyelights starry, “I’m Getting Pretty Good, Huh? But Seriously, Alph… What’s The Matter?”

 

Alphys took a deep breath, her expression softer. While yes, she had disbursed her pent up rage and frustration; her problems were still there. However… she felt ready to talk now, in a calm, logical manner.

 

Sans handed her a bottle of water from the fridge, grabbing one for himself and she sat heavily on the couch, putting a hand to her cheek.

 

“Undyne and I are going through something.” Alphys finally admitted, after a brief moment of contemplation.

 

Sans remained quiet, as Alphys launched into her frustrations- the long hours at work that had been growing, her forced broken promises, Undyne’s growing distance and how, lately, she’d been coming home to discover sign of Undyne crying herself to sleep.

 

“The worst thing is that I know why she’s not even mad; she’s  _lonely._  She spent so much time alone, in the Underground, and then, we spent almost three years together, doing shit together, getting to know each other, I mean, hell, it wasn’t perfect, but we were  _together._  Then, the law passed to allow monsters into the police force and I thought… I thought it was what I wanted. My dream job,” Alphys scoffed as she knocked back the entire bottle of water, only to cough and sputter.

 

“Is… is this fucking  _vodka_?”

 

Sans gasped and tried to grab the bottle back “I, uh, I gave you the wrong bottle. That one was mine.”

 

Alphys blinked, “Hitting the sauce, huh, Sans? Something you wanna tell me?”

 

“Nooo… No. Maybe. Finish yours. Do you want water?” Sans flustered as he handed her his bottle, which was actually meant for her to begin with.

 

Alphys considered the water bottle of vodka in her claws before shrugging, “Bottom’s up, bone-boy,” swallowing the rest of it thickly.

 

Sans chuckled as he drank his water, thoughts swirling in his head. No wonder there had been so much tension in the past mornings, when Alphys and Undyne had stopped for their breakfast tacos…

 

“It was like I took away all that love and support I had been giving her these past years… I don’t know what to do, Sans. I feel I should quit, but all those human assholes are watching me, the former captain of the royal guard. If I quit now, it’s like all their fucking doubts will be fucking justified. And if I don’t quit… Oh g-god, Sans, what if I l-lose her?” Alphys choked, trembling, “I fucking love her s-so much! I c-can’t-”

 

Sans interrupted, his voice firm.

 

“Alphys, Undyne Would  _Never_  Leave You. She Loves You, She Adores You And I Don’t Think She’d Want You To Quit Either! You Both Haven’t Spent Much Time Together Lately, So It Sounds Like You’re Both Making Assumptions. Stars, Alph, Don’t You Realize How Hard She Worked To Better Her Mental Health For Herself And  _You?_  Her Love For You Helped Her In Ways That You Will  _Never_  Realize! You Yourself Have Always Inspired Her To Be Better, To Try Harder, And… Alph, Undyne Loves You With All Her SOUL. I Know This Because… She Told Me. Back When I Was Giving Her Self-Esteem Lessons… And Then, She Gave  _Me_  Self-Esteem Lessons.” Sans laughed, a little awkwardly, “The Best Thing, About Our Relationship, You, Me, Paps And Undyne, Is That We’re More Than Just Friends, We’re  _Family._  If You Talk To Undyne Honestly And Openly, I Bet She’ll Open Up To You Too.”

 

Alphys wiped away some stray tears, baring her teeth in a snarling grin.

 

“God, Sans… when did you grow up?”

 

Sans punched her on the arm, hard enough to knock her over just a little and she roared with laughter, “Nice one! Just like I taught ya!”

 

Sans chuckled. “It’s Gonna Be Ok, Alphys. I Believe In The Both Of You. You’re Gonna Do The Right Thing.”

 

Alphys smiled fondly at him before hiccupping.

 

“Huh, I think I’d better have some water after all.”

 

“Oh, I Almost Forgot To Tell You! I, Uh, I Invited Roxy Over! For Our Sleepover.” Sans swallowed as Alphys cupped her chin in her hand, grinning shark-like at him.

 

“Ooh. So I get to embarrass you in front of your girlfriend?”

 

“Alph, I Told You,-“

 

“Sans.”

 

Sans shut his jaws, as Alphys fixed him with a serious stare.

“Tell me something; does she make you feel like the other one did?”

 

Sans quickly shook his head.

“No… That’s The Thing. I… I Feel So  _Good_  When I’m With Her. Like I Can Be Myself And She’ll Still Be There, Accepting And Sincere. It’s… It’s Different.”

 

Alphys chewed her lip slightly, “Huh… I haven’t gotten to see her much, but, that first time I bumped into her, she didn’t come across like the other one did. When I first met that one, I could tell she was a bitch… I just thought she was a bitch like how Napstaton is….”

 

Sans chuckled uncomfortably, his font dropping noticeably, “i… i’d prefer to not talk about her.”

 

“Sorry, buddy.” Alphys punched him sheepishly, “I’ll be happy to get to know Roxy. An if she does  _anything_   _to hurt you…”_ Alphys left the sentence unsaid, Sans clenched his jaw, but didn’t feel the need to continue that line of thought, whether to refute it or encourage it. He truly felt it wouldn’t come to that, and so felt no need to say anything. Besides… he already knew from experience that Alphys would take a rebuttal as him being defensive… a repercussion from the previous relationship.

 

He swallowed, trying to not think about it. His phone dinged and he quickly grabbed it.

 

Coffeegirl:  _I’m ready._

Sans grinned and stood to his feet, “You mind holding down the fort, Alph? I gotta go pick her up.”

 

“Yeah, I’ll get started on the tacos. Sound good?”

 

“Yes! Make sure you use-“

 

“Yeah, yeah, the video recipe. I’ve learned how to cook too, nerd.” Alphys gave him another sharp-toothed grin as she stalked to the kitchen.

 

Sans left quickly and took off down the sidewalk, excited and nervous and overall… just really, really happy.

 

_I… I Wonder If She Likes Me Too, The Way I Like Her. I Wish I Could Ask._

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~

 

Desiree had never had an easy life. The daughter of a physically abusive man, her mother had fled, grabbing Desiree and Desiree’s little brother and had run. Run far away, with the man who would come to be a loving husband to Desiree’s mom and a real father to Desiree and her brother.

 

But she always felt she was the second fiddle to her half sister, when her half sister came along, and so Desiree grew up feeling alone, empty, and desperate for acceptance and love.

 

She had coped with all her issues in all the wrong ways, always with the best intentions and always with the people she loved most taking advantage. So, she’d ended up living back with her parents, having two very young children out of wedlock that she felt an urge to protect.

 

So, when she’d tried,  _tried_  so hard, to turn her life around… that’s when he’d trapped her.

 

Desiree’s first husband, Roy Martinez, a seemingly kind, gentle and charismatic person, had trapped her in an abusive, manipulative marriage.

 

God, she had given up count, how many times suicide had crossed her mind, and she only lived for her children.

 

But when Roy had turned his attention and his brainwashing abuse towards her daughter, the eldest of her now six children, she’d put her foot down and banished him, slapping a divorce in his face. And for that, she was ostracized by all her previous friends who had been too blind to see the abuse.

 

Things were no easier. (Harder, in fact, and she would admit, she’d made a mistake in marrying Carl, an older, gentle man who’d come to her with a tender, kind love. She was happy with him… but she’d been the one to hurt her daughter with this new marriage)

 

Desiree was  _terrified_  (beyond words) that her children would run in her rebellious and troubled footsteps, and she was committed to keeping them on the straight and narrow, as much as possible.

 

And so, when she’d  _seen_  Roxy, riding on the back of a  _motorcycle_ , with a very large, very  _monstrous_  man, her blood had run cold and her flashbacks started.

She wasn’t even aware of how hurtful her words sounded, as her instincts and experiences screamed at her.

 

“-Roxy, you  _know_  how dangerous motorcycles are-“

 

“Mom, Sans is an excellent driver, he’s  _very safe-“_

“You haven’t  _known_  him long enough to make that judgment! And what do you  _mean_  by hugging him?! You just MET him!”

 

Roxy shut her mouth, her eyes red, her face stony. All she could do was glare and Desiree felt her mouth go dry; Roxy was an exact image of her, 20+ years ago.

 

It hurt, it hurt so much, her fear, her anguish, all the mistakes, all the anxieties and she babbled, “Roxy, I’m just saying these things because-“

 

“Mom, I’m an  _adult._  I KNOW I have a lot to learn, but you have to let me make my own mistakes too! And for the record, just so you know, Tristan has caused me  _far_  more problems this last week then Sans has! So before you start telling me how dangerous Sans is, how about you talk to Tristan about  _letting_  me _sleep_ so I can be fully  _functioning_  day-to-day! Cause you know, I’m GOING TO SCHOOL AND WORK. WHILE HE PLAYS VIDEOGAMES AND SLEEPS ALL DAY.”

 

Roxy took a deep breath and added with a deadly glare, “And no offense, mom, but David  _hurt_  me terribly, AFTER I got to know him and gave him my trust. And you brought him  _here_ , to my  _home_ , without my knowing, or permission, knowing how terribly he treated me. So you can  _quit_  with pretending to be concerned about my  _feelings_  and  _safety_.”

 

Desiree remained quiet, her heart clenching. She was angry, she was hurting, ~~she just wanted Roxy to be _safe_~~ _._  But she also knew, deep down, Roxy was right. And she also knew, that she was indeed, overstepping her bounds.

 

So, the older woman swallowed her anger; she swallowed her bitter rage, her pride, and coldly replied, “ _Fine_. I’ll talk to your brother. Do what you want. Just  _don’t_  say I didn’t warn you.”

 

Roxy shuddered, trembled, her eyes ran with angry tears and she whirled away, grabbing a bag of necessities, she ran.

 

She was quite familiar with this feeling; it was a toxic friend, slinging its slimy arm around her shoulder, dragging its hand across her face with mock pity.

 

_Hello, worthlessness, my old friend._

 

Roxy paused halfway to San’s house, when she realized that she never texted Sans. She frowned and decided that she would wait, until she stopped crying, and maybe until her face was a little less red, before letting him know that she was ready to come over.

_I can’t let him see I was crying. I don’t wanna bring him down. Not when he’s probably worried about his older brother, Wingdings._

Roxy smiled softly as she sat on the curb and took deep breaths, letting herself cry a little more, uncaring as to who saw her, just trying to make sense of her feelings.

 

God, why was this so weird? Why was growing up so hard? She just didn’t know… where the line was…. How could she assert herself without hurting her mom? She just couldn’t figure it out.

 

As she calmed down, scrolling through funny pictures on her phone, she finally felt she could text Sans. Not a moment later, he was there at her side, looking confused. Instead of getting annoyed with her or demanding an explanation for why she was sitting at the curb like a weirdo, he sat down next to her, very calmly for him, and looked at her with concern.

 

“Hello Roxy.”

 

“Hi Sans. Uh, you’re probably wondering why I’m-“

 

“You’re Not The First Person To Escape To A Street Curb To Get Away From An Awkward Home Life.” Sans chuckled a little. “You Just Look Like You Need A Moment.”

 

Roxy’s heart absolutely burst at his gentle tone and sweet smile.

How?

How was he so empathetic?

Though her experience with men (and people in general) was rather limited, Roxy had never, ever experienced kindness and understanding like this, and her tears almost resurfaced as her heart pulsed.

 

She swallowed, willing her tears to go away as she looked from behind her hair, to see Sans smiling up at the sky, patient and content, in no hurry. She looked up at the sky and took a deep breath.

 

“I’m ready now.” Roxy grinned, “Things were… a bit tense at home, so… thanks for inviting me over.”

 

“Of Course!” Sans grinned as he stood and offered her a hand. He added, softly, as she took his hand, “If You Wanna Talk About It, I’m All Ears… Metaphorically, That Is.”

 

Roxy grinned softly, her eyes shining at him, “Thanks Sans, but I think I’d rather kick you butt at Smash Bros again!”

  
Sans flashed her a mischievous grin,” If I Recall, It Was I Who kicked YOUR Butt!”

 

Roxy chortled, “I’m ready for some more virtual battles to the death!”

 

“Then Let’s Go!” Sans grabbed her bag and, without letting go of her hand, led the way, talking to her excitedly about how Alphys was getting started on the tacos and how much fun they were going to have. Roxy felt like she was walking on air, her stomach was flopping like a fish out of water and she giggled a little, blushing as she squeezed his hand.

 

_Sans… Thank you. I’m really falling for you, Big Guy, and I have no idea what to do._

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Sans was extremely surprised, as he ran down the sidewalk and caught sight of his friend sitting on the curb. She… did not look like she was having a good time, and Sans slowed his pace. He wanted to call out, to ask what was wrong when he flashed back, to a younger Sans, who just wanted to feel that he wasn’t a burden. Softly, Sans approached her and sat next to her quietly, saying hello, but nothing else.

 

If she wanted to talk about what was bothering her, he would be there… but he didn’t want to push his concerns on her. He remembered how awful that felt. Especially when Papyrus would ask him, “Hey, bro, somethin’ botherin’ ya?”

 

_Can’t I just be allowed to look how I feel without a sense of guilt? I don’t want to make others concerned…I just want a moment._

Roxy had pushed whatever it was that was bothering her away and Sans was willing to wait, to see if it was something she wanted to open up about. Right now, however, the night was young and there were tacos to be eaten, and videogames to play.

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~

 

Papyrus paused, as he and Undyne stopped at a strange door. It was a door he’d never seen before. Gray, flat, almost unremarkable. He touched the doorknob and ~~bad thoughts~~ seemed to slither through his fingertips and spread to his mind. He recoiled with a jerk, and Undyne observed the door sharply.

 

“I’ve n-never seen this. But this is where all the readings are coming from, it seems.”

 

Papyrus was afraid. He didn’t have a problem with most temperatures, but god, he felt so cold, looking at this strange door.

It looked  _wrong_ , like something that just didn’t belong there.

“We need to open the door.” He heard himself say, but he flinched, no, no, he didn’t want to open this door, he didn’t want to see what was on the other side.

 

Undyne seemed like she was about to-

And there it was, she folded and vomited into the marshy ground. Coughing and gagging, she muttered an apology, “I d-don’t like this, Pap. It… It  _can’t_ be-“

 

“It very well might be.” Papyrus replied grimly. “Someone’s pulling some strings behind the curtain.”

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~

 

“Airhead! Hey, how are ya?!” Alphys grunted with a sharp grin, “Ya haven’t been getting beaten lately, have ya?”

 

“Naw, well, almost actually. Would you believe I ran into that lady, Alicia, again at an ice cream shop, just yesterday?!” Roxy laughed a little shyly, as Alphys gawked, “NO! What happened?!”

 

“Uh… well, I had Temmie with me, and we just left.” Roxy giggled, but Alphys just glared at her, “Don’t lie to me, punk, I can tell some shit went down! Here, drink up!”

 

She pushed a cup in front of Roxy, adding, “I heard you’re twenty three. You’re not a _weenie_ , are ya?”

 

Roxy blinked, as she realized that the drink was surely alcoholic. Strangely, she was no foreigner to “adult beverages” and with a shy grin, she took the drink and sipped it.

 

Alphys genuinely looked surprised as Roxy gave a grin, "I love vodka and cranberry," and a slow, maniacal gleam entered Alphys’ eye as she smirked, "Oh, tonight is gonna be FUN."

 

Sans took a moment to ponder his life choices and whether he was gonna regret this one as Alphys grinned at him with a sharp, wink that was meant to be inconspicuous and sadly, was extremely obvious.

 

Roxy, however, being an oblivious individual, just grinned back, "I'm excited about battling you in Smash Bros, Alphys."

 

"Me too, Airhead! Me too. For now, let's eat some tacos and play some good ol' Truth or Dare."

 

 _Stars Have Mercy, We're All Gonna Die._ Sans grinned as he began to sweat.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanna say, the "Ghost Town" idea was inspired by Kassykins' idea of Papyruses and the Swap-Sanses using "Layers" as opposed to "Shortcuts", although my Sans can also use shortcuts, and papyrus can also enter the Ghost Town Dimension. So, I hope I'm not plagiarizing, I'm hoping that my interpretation is different enough, and I'm not referring to it as "Layers." Dimensions, The Upside-down, The Marsh of the Dead, Veil of Shadows. Ghost Town. *shrugs* 
> 
> I listened to "Love Don't Die" By the Fray while I wrote this. Also an awesome mix of Skillet and Fallout Boy, which I will leave here, if you wish to hear an awesome song that inspired the sparring scene.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RcsDq-impo
> 
> Happy Memorial Day


	16. The Stars Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The slumber party is interrupted. Shortcuts are taken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof.

 

Roxy steadfastly refused to play Truth or Dare while they were eating tacos.

 

_We need more alcohol before we try anything like that._

_…. You have a point, Airhead._

Sans had been relieved at this, in truth, he hadn’t planned on Alphys finding out about the vodka at all, and he’d been moderately surprised when Roxy had taken the drink Alphys handed her without a judgmental attitude. She didn’t really come across as someone who drank. Then again, the same could be said for him.

 

So, they’d settled for watching an anime that Alphys had just started a few weeks ago that Undyne had refused to watch called Onslaught On Colossus.

 

“Oh damn, this is gory as heck!” Roxy stuffed a whole taco into her mouth as her eyes were glued to the TV.

 

“Seriously, Why Is This A Thing?” Sans cringed slightly, as the giants in the anime attacked the humans, shoveling them down their weirdly animated gullets.

 

“Everyone asks that! We have no idea! That’s why I’m watching this, I need to know WHY!” Alphys replied fiercely as she chomped messily into her tacos.

 

Roxy swallowed her mouthful as she glanced at Sans out of the corner of her eye. He seemed on edge and she frowned as she glanced at the screen. The giants were separating families, eating without mercy, without even a reason or a purpose it seemed.

 

Her heart ached as she saw him visibly flinch and with a timid motion, she spoke up, “Hey, Uh, Alphys, I’m sorry, but I can’t stomach this violence right now.”

 

“WHAT?! Ah c’mon, Airhead, you kidding me?!” Alphys groaned, “Oh well, that’s fine. Well, what do you two nerds wanna watch?”

 

“Actually, I’m done with my taco, could we play some smash bros?” Roxy gave a delighted wriggle and Alphys grinned sharply, as Sans jumped to grab the controllers, “I Think That’s A Great Idea! Let’s Fight!”

 

Alphys chuckled, “Yeesh, you guys really ARE nerds!”

 

As Alphys and Roxy got the TV set up, Sans quickly jumped to his feet to put the food away, swiping the bottle of vodka, he hid it in Ghost Town before coming back, feeling relieved. There was no way Alphys would find it there.

 

With a relieved sigh, he put the food in the gourmet gallery (the fridge) and returned to the living room, where Roxy and Alphys had already started a match. Sans had to grin, as he soon realized that Roxy had chosen Kirby this time. Every time Alphys tried to throw her off the stage, Kirby would come puffing back through the air, frustrating Alphys to no end, especially when Roxy would land a hit.

 

“NO! Fuck _you,_ you trashy gum-wad!” Alphys roared, mashing buttons furiously.

 

Roxy giggled a little, “Aw, why are you yelling at him? He’s round and pink, you can’t yell at hi-“

 

“I CAN AND I WILL!” Alphys roared as she added vehemently, “It’s bad enough Sans uses this asshole to kick my tail! It’s fucking humiliating!”

 

Sans chuckled as he saw Roxy lean into her playing, her tongue in her cheek and she giggled, “I’m gonna get’chu!”

 

_Stars, Why Is She So Cute?_

 

“Wha-NO! NO! Get the fuck away from me!” Alphys screeched, jerking her controller.

 

The time ran out and they were evenly tied.

 

Alphys just put her hand over her face as she grunted, “Oh _great,_ this is the _perfect_ start to my night! Losing to the Gum-wad. Ugh.”

 

“Hey, don’t be mad! And you didn’t lose!” Roxy pleaded, but as Alphys uncovered her face, she was grinning, winking as she chuckled, “I’ve finally got someone as who plays this game as terribly as I do! HNYA-HA-HA!”

 

Sans grinned sweetly, his innocent expression turning into a smirk as he spoke, “You Two Wanna Try To Take Me Down? Let’s Do A Two On One!”

 

Alphys glared at Sans as she snarled to Roxy, “Time to team up, Airhead!”

 

Roxy grinned back with furrowed brows as she snarked,” Let’s take down the expert!”

 

“MWEH-HEH-HEH! You Are Welcome To Try, As Many Times As You Want! But I Don’t Think You’ll Have A Good Time! One Might Even Say… You’ll Have A _BAD_ Time!”

 

Roxy exploded slightly with laughter, “Bring it! We’ll kick your bony butt, Buster!”

 

“YEAH! That’s the spirit, Airhead!” Alphys shouted, “On your guard, Rookie!”

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

An hour later, Roxy got up to go use the restroom, and Alphys turned to Sans with a chuckle, “You know what, I think I like her. I don’t think I’ve ever been called a Cheap, Dinosaur Rip-Off before…”

 

Sans grinned back, “Smash Bros Really Brings Out The Beast In Her.”

 

Alphys fidgeted slightly as she muttered, “Hey, uh… is there still poor cell-reception in the Underground?”

 

“Yeah… Sorry Al.” Sans smiled warmly as he put a hand on her shoulder, “They’ll be back soon. I’m sure they’re fine!”

 

“I know… I just have a bad feeling.” Alphys admitted as she thought about Undyne, “I’m so worried about her.”

 

“I’ll bet She’s Talking With Paps, Just Like You And I Had A Talk, And He’s Telling Her The Same Thing! When She Comes Back, You’ll Get To Sit Down And Work Through What’s Been Going On.” Sans grinned confidently.

 

Alphys grunted, as she took a sip of water, frowning as she reflected, “Sans… why was there vodka in your water bottle? I thought you’d quit?”

 

Sans frowned, softly putting a hand to his forehead, he shrugged, “I Did… I Just Drink Occasionally. It’s No Big Deal.”

 

Alphys frowned, “I know you have a high tolerance, Sans, and I honestly don’t care if you drink, you’re an adult… but you were being _sneaky_ , and _that’s_ what’s bothering me.”

 

Sans shifted guiltily.

“I… I Really Don’t Want To Talk About It Right Now.”

 

Alphys grunted, “Fine, I get it, but at some point… will you open up? You know I’m not gonna judge you.”

 

Sans gave a weak grin, “I Know. Thanks Al.”

 

Roxy came back, her eyes wide, “Guys, the moon outside is SO. FULL.”

 

“Ooh! I love it when it’s like that!” Alphys stood to her feet quickly, as Sans did the same and they all ran outside to the backyard. Sure enough, the moon was hovering over them, big, bright and full of cold, pure beauty.

 

Roxy smiled up at it, as she murmured, “Man, it’s so pretty.”

 

“I couldn’t agree more, Airhead. Guess having your head stuck up in the clouds isn’t always a bad thing.” Alphys chuckled quietly as she surreptitiously bumped her hip into Sans, causing him to stumble a little, moving closer to Roxy as he righted himself.

 

Alphys chuckled as she noticed both of the dorks blush while never taking her eyes off the sky, muttering, “You were right, Roxy. People should definitely look up at the sky more.”

 

Roxy was desperately trying to keep still, she could _feel_ how close Sans was, and she could hear her heart pounding. She wanted to touch him, so badly, wanted to feel his arms around her, but she steadfastly kept her gaze on the sky.

 

Likewise, Sans was very aware of how close he stood to Roxy, she stood slightly in front of him, and he suddenly realized just how… how pretty she was. Her face shone with delight, and the way the moonlight glinted off her soft hair and her curvy body-

 

_For Star’s Sake, Sans, Get A Grip On Yourself! Where Is Your Self-Control!?_

_…_

_Well, Surely There’s Nothing **Wrong** With Looking? Besides… Someone As Pretty As She Deserves A Second Glance._

 

Covertly, Sans let his eyes drift over her form, allowing himself to drink in her curves, the mix of tan and fair tones of her skin, the gentle slopes of muscles in her legs hinting at how much time she spent outside. And her _butt…_

_I Guess Paps Would Call It An Ass-et. Mweh-Heh… No More Vodka, Comic, You’re Punning Now, And It’s Not Funny._

Roxy sighed, unaware of Sans’ internal struggle as she giggled, “I’m so glad you two wanted to come out with me. I love being outside.”

 

“Oh! We should definitely go camping then, next time I get vacation time!... if I EVER _get_ vacation time.” Alphys scowled, before adding with a wink, “I guess you and Sans could always go, maybe with Chara and Paps. And that runt, Temmie, if you can stomach her charms.”

 

Roxy giggled, “Temmie’s not so bad. She’s just a teenager.”

 

“Oh yeah? Were _you_ like Temmie when you were a teen?” Alphys grunted.

 

Roxy opened her mouth and then closed it.

 

“Yeah, that’s what I thought. She’s beyond nasty.” Alphys scowled, “I don’t even know why.”

 

“But I don’t think she’s nasty just to be nasty… I really think there’s a reason. A lot of her behavior… reminds me of some of the kids I’ve taken care of before. There’s always a reason.” Roxy replied quietly.

 

Alphys just grunted. She caught Sans trying and failing to _not_ look at Roxy’s butt and stifled a laugh as she grinned, “So, Sans, I was glad to see you haven’t fallen _behind_ on your training.”

 

Sans’ eyelights snapped to Alphys’ face in horror, and he refused to acknowledge the pun, because then… he would have to acknowledge that he had been doing something to prompt the pun.

 

Alphys chuckled, “I’m gonna get my camera, to take a picture for Undyne. Be right back.”

 

She left and Sans and Roxy settled into a pleasant tension.

“Sans, this has been really great. I’m having so much fun!” Roxy blushed as she looked up at him.

 

He looked so handsome right now, with the soft moonlight glinting off his bones, his eye-lights glowing gently at her. She wanted to hug him, but couldn't bring herself to. No, she didn't trust herself, not with how hard she was falling for him.

_I wish I knew whether or not I have a shot with you, Sans..._

 

“I’m Glad. I Really Like Hanging Out With You.” Sans replied with a cute blush, feeling his SOUL flutter.

 

Roxy smiled, “I really like hanging out with you too!”

 

She looked down and muttered, “I wish my mom would stop worrying about me and treat me like an adult.”

 

“…Have You Settled Things With Your Brother?”

 

“Not yet… although my mom finally agreed to talk to him.”

 

“I Hope He Makes Improvements,” Sans agreed thoughtfully.

 

Roxy suddenly clutched Sans’ hand, as a shooting star blazed across the sky, gasping, “Oh my god, did you see that?! I never see shooting stars!”

 

“Wowzers! I Wonder Where It’s Going?” Sans’s eyes drifted back to Roxy, as she beamed up at the sky, giggling, “I made a wish… how about you?”

  
“Yeah.” Sans nodded. _I Wish I Could Tell You How I Feel, Roxy._

“Don’t tell me, cause then it won’t come true!” Roxy sang, laughing sublimely as she rocked on her heels, “Alphys sure is taking a long time…”

_She Sure Is…Can’t Say I’m Complaining Though._ Sans thought gratefully, true, he was at a loss for what to do, what to say or how to spend this time with her… but it was just the two of them, and his SOUL was singing.

 

Roxy turned to him and spoke seriously, “Sans… I just wanted to say…” she bit her lip and he was captivated. That plump, tender bottom lip…

“You’ve been so awesome. I mean for real, this week has been really hard on me and… you’ve helped me so much. So… thank you.” She told him firmly and happily.

 

Sans grinned awkwardly as he chuckled and scratched the back of his skull,” I’m So Glad, Roxy, That I Could Make Your Life A Little Easier. I…-“

 

Alphys came barreling out of the house at this moment, panicked as she shouted, “Sans! It’s Chara!”

 

Roxy and Sans both jumped at they turned and Sans’ eyelights shrank when he saw the frightened look in Alphys’ face, like an alien emotion. She was never scared…

 

“What’s wrong with Chara?” He asked and Alphys croaked as she replied, “She’s in a coma.”

 

Time seemed to stop. Sans blinked and blinked again as the words took root, sounding strange in his mind.

 

Roxy put a hand to her mouth, her expression horrified, “What happened?!”

 

“Asgore… Asgore said she slept in late this morning, was showing symptoms of a fever, so he tried healing her and she just passed out! She won’t wake up!” Alphys growled.

 

Sans shook, “I… I gotta tell Paps.”

 

“Is there anything I can do? Is Temmie ok?!” Roxy suddenly squeaked, “We gotta go see if there’s anything we can do!”

 

Alphys grunted as she looked at Sans, “You good with taking a short cut to Papyrus and Undyne? They need to be told right away.”

 

“Yes! I can do that!” Sans nodded firmly, and Roxy smiled, sadly, as she quickly gave him a hug, “ Be careful!”

 

“I will, you too! The both of you should go and check on Asgore and his family! They’ll need support!” Sans said firmly as he took a step back and his eyes flashed cyan and yellow. He didn’t do this often, but this was one hundred percent an emergency.

 

Roxy tried to keep a gasp from escaping her as Sans vanished before her eyes.

 

Alphys took a breath, “He’ll be ok, Airhead. Let’s get across the street.”

 

“Right!” Roxy felt nervous, Tem must be so worried! She straightened her shoulders as she rushed across the street with Alphys. There was already an ambulance there, and Asgore looked so worried, it sickened Roxy, why did things like this happen to such good people?

 

“Alphys, Roxy! Thank the Stars you are here.” He said distractedly, “I have to go with Chara in the ambulance-“

 

“Go, Asgore. Text me the hospital, I’ll bring you clothes and whatever you need.”

 

Asgore shifted his attention to Roxy, pleading, “Please… could you stay with Temmie? And bring her to the hospital tomorrow?”

 

“Yes! Absolutely.” Roxy replied and Asgore nodded, relieved as he quickly followed the EMS workers and climbed into the ambulance.

 

Roxy and Alphys quickly went into the house and Roxy glanced around as she called out, “Temmie?! Tem!”

 

The Doll was nowhere to be seen.

 

“Oh my fucking god, are you kidding me?!” Alphys growled as she snarled, “Temmie, you brat, get the fuck out here! We don’t need your bullshit drama when Chara is the one we need to be worried about!”

 

Roxy glared at Alphys, “Alphys, shut up! That was not kind! Go and get the things for Asgore and Chara, let me take care of Temmie if you’re gonna be an asshole.”

 

Alphys blinked, unused to that attitude from Roxy as she shrugged, “Whatever you say, Nerd.”

 

Roxy frowned as she called out, “Temmie, please come out. I need to know that you’re ok! Asgore asked me to take you to the hospital tomorrow, and I can’t do that if you run away! Please!”

 

Temmie “blinked” in front of Roxy, her face neutral and her short, stumpy tail drooped.

 

Roxy jumped slightly at the Doll’s sudden appearance, but breathed a sigh of relief.

 “Oh thank god-”

 

“Vanilla-Weenis, I’m not going to the hospital.” Temmie told her flatly, “Can you tell Asgore that… I’m sorry? Yeah, tell him I’m sorry and that I’m going to fix this. I know who’s doing this, and they are going to _pay.”_

Roxy’s eyes widened and she reacted without thinking, diving forward as Temmie’s form began to glimmer, wrapping her arms tightly around the doll.

 

There was a brilliant crackle, and the two disappeared.

 

Alphys came back into the room, looking around, she frowned.

 

“Where’d Airhead go?”

 

Her phone buzzed at her and she swore as she quickly grabbed the suitcases she’s stuffed full of necessities and raced for her car.

 

She had to get to the hospital and briefly muttered, “Roxy can take care of herself. She’s an adult.”

 

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Sans appeared in the Underground, panting and sweating. That had been a huge jump through the void; he was more out of practice than he thought.

 

“Now To Find Paps And Undyne.” He muttered to himself as he drew himself up and quickly dashed down the path, moving like he was born to, quick, agile and tireless.

 

He flew through the Capital, inhaling deeply; he paused as he caught a faint whiff of Papyrus’ cigarettes.

 

There… was something uneasy that began to wiggle inside of Sans. It grew, as he took a moment to breathe again, taking in the smells.

 

A cold shiver went down his spine, he closed his sockets as he trembled for a moment before he took off again, running harder then ever, stopping once in a while to inhale deeply. As he crossed into Hotland, he didn’t slow down, instead using his momentum to carry himself across the chasms, paying no attention to the steam vents that were supposed to be used, relying on his own strength and dexterity to leap through the air, springing from one platform to the next with ease.

 

He continued, until he was at the river shortcut that Wings used. Sans’ pupils shrank and his bones began to rattle with anxiety. Wingdings’ boat was _out of the water_. It wasn’t responsive, the way he was used to seeing it and Sans’ fists clenched as he approached the boat, putting his phalanges gently against the damp wood.

 

“Who Did This To You, Paddles?” He questioned softly, his SOUL pulsing uneasily at the sight of the black goop that leaked from the splinters of the boat. Stars, he really hoped that… that he was wrong about the things he was feeling.

Surely… Surely this couldn’t mean that ~~R.P~~. was back…

 

Sans clenched his jaw, canines sharpening as he swiftly scented the air, his expression as deathly serious as a skeleton's face can be.

 

Hotland smells....heat… metal… cigarette smoke and honey… that was Paps… and the faintest whiff of sushi…

 

Yes, Papyrus and Undyne had definitely been here, but he couldn’t sense whether or not they’d left. Which must mean-

 

“Paps must have panicked, if he saw the boat like this. He would have started shortcutting. But he wouldn’t have done so blindly. There would have been purpose behind it, to find Wingdings.”

 

Sans groaned, he really wished he could shortcut, but his magic was depleted from the giant leap he’d taken, so, for now, he’d have to run  ~~like his brothers' lives depended on it~~.

 

The air was different in the Underground, he noted, as he raced away, crossing into Waterfall, he sprang nimbly, fairly running across the water, as his splashes echoed off the cavernous walls. He used every physical shortcut he could think of as he tried to figure out WHY the air smelled differently.

 

By the time he’d checked all the spots that Papyrus would have taken immediate short-cuts to in Waterfall, he suddenly realized what was wrong. It was the void. The smell of the void had permeated the Underground. It was faint, only the barest scent, but now that he knew this-

 

Sans skidded to a stop. He’d been about to sprint down the path towards Snowdin when… he’d skidded by a door… a door that he’d only seen _once_ before.  ~~And never wanted to see again.~~

 

His breath huffed from his mouth, his pupils fading in color, til they were stark white. His bones were rattling in stark terror now, as he stared at the door with less and less surprise. So many things were clicking now. Chara's nightmares that she didn't like to talk about, Wingding's entrapment... 

 

“Oh… no. Not you.” He whispered sadly. He approached the door, noting Papyrus’ footprints, as well as Undyne’s, in the muck.

 

“Please… They’re My Family, You Can’t….” he whispered, “You Can’t Take Them, Too.”

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Temmie opened her eyes, her magic and ~~determination~~ flaring. Yes, she was right where she had intended to go… but what she _hadn’t_ intended was to take Weenis-Breath along for the ride.

 

“OH GOD DAMNIT!” The doll swore loudly, staring at the human girl, who shakily stood to her feet, wobbling, and then fell to her hands and knees before spewing her dinner all over the floor.

 

Roxy coughed, gagged and retched again.

 

As she coughed and spit, Temmie stared at her, horrified. Damnit, this was not good.

 

“You idiot! You _knew_ I was gonna warp, you’ve seen me do it before! Why did you touch me!?” Temmie snarled angrily.

 

Roxy weakly grinned before grimacing, as her stomach heaved and bile poured from her mouth.

 

“Oh fuck.” The human said weakly as she shook and quivered, giggling insipidly, “Good thing I’ve got a strong stomach, I might’ve puked my organs out too!”

 

“YOU STUPID IDIOT!” Temmie howled, smacking Roxy’s leg, “You don’t understand! I have to go and… I have to save Chara! And I can’t do that with….” Temmie paused. Wait… Roxy was pathetic… but she was a human… with a human soul…

 

Temmie squinted shrewdly as she continued thinking, even as Roxy tried to talk her down from whatever she was planning, insisting that Chara was going to be ok-

 

“Roxy, shut the fuck up and listen to me, _please_.”

 

Roxy paused, she was still trembling slightly, from her throwing up, but she nodded quietly, and for once, Temmie was grateful that her human caretaker was ~~so patient~~ such a pushover.

 

“Listen, I know what- no, WHO caused Chara’s coma.”

 

Roxy’s eyebrows raised in surprise, but she said nothing, allowing Temmie to continue.

 

“I have to try to talk to them. I owe that to Chara… You’re a human, and you have a strong soul. You might be able to help me, if it comes down to a fight.”

 

“A f-fight?” Roxy squeaked, “Who are you talking about?! Is it a monster? A human?”

 

“Yes and no.” Temmie replied quietly as she began to walk, “The exit’s to the west, if you change your mind.”

 

Roxy weakly wobbled to her feet, looking around in astonishment. They were in a strange marsh-like cavern.

 

She quickly ran after Temmie, her stomach lurching painfully, but she sucked it up, there was no way that she was gonna leave Temmie by herself. Not like this.

 

“What is this place?” Roxy asked after a moment.

 

“It’s called Waterfall... it's a place in the Underground.” Temmie replied with a mutter, continuing down the wet path, “Hurry, there’s no time.”

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the cliffhanger *cringes*


	17. "Stay Determined"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The past returns in a horrific manner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Probably will be putting up a one-shot for this story, to provide more backstory for those who are interested.

  

Asgore felt sick, kneeling there next to the hospital bed. How did this happen? Just yesterday, Chara had been fine... How could he have _let_ this happen?

 

Flashbacks, from the Great War, the first fallen child and all the others that had fallen down after were flipping through his head like a bad movie. The gentle giant kept his breathing regulated, his eyes fixed on Chara, as she breathed shallowly, her face deceptively peaceful, as she lay there under his watch. He had already called Toriel, and she was on her way, with Asriel in tow.

 

The hospital machines beeped, breaking the silence at steady intervals. Asgore trembled, kneeling by Chara’s bedside, gazing at her through tear-blurred eyes.

 

“My child, please. Please don’t leave me alone.” Asgore whispered quietly, stroking Chara’s hair as he added with a faltering smile, “We still have so much to do together; more books to read… more tea to drink… we have so many more memories ahead of us. So please, small one… dearest Chara…please come back. D-don’t leave me… like all the others.”

 

His voice cracked, and tears fell, thick and fast as the gentle giant bowed his head, gently grasping Chara’s limp, warm hand as he sobbed openly.

 

He wasn’t aware when Toriel and Asriel came into the room, but they didn’t say a word as they hugged the crying Boss monster, all three of them grieving in their own way as they sent all their love, compassion and hope into Chara.

 

Toriel slowly brushed back Chara’s locks from her face and murmured, in as strong a tone as she could muster, “Dear child… you have to  _stay determined_.”

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Sans opened the gray door, his SOUL trembling with terrified anticipation of what awaited him there.

 

To his surprise, the room was  _empty_. Grey and solitary, just like last time, but no melted figure stood there like before.

 

Sans frowned, the tears in his sockets vanishing, as he peered to the left and then to the right, his hand reaching up to tug at the blue scarf around his neck…

 

~~It’s too small for me, you wear it, Sans. Papyrus will be happy someone can use it!~~

 

The room was completely empty, save for the vague, slippery memory that tainted him, and he could have breathed in relief, except he was shivering with cold.

 

“Hello?!” He called out, and he shuddered as the air in the room  _swallowed_  his voice.

 

Magic pulsed inside of him, and his sockets began flashing. Standing just outside the room, he took a deep breath and stepped fully into the room, bracing for another terrifying vision, just like last time.

 

 _But nobody came_.

 

Sans frowned, his memories spinning, disjointed and jerking like a marionette, creeping through the hallways of his head.

 

“I Don’t Know If You’re Here… But I Know You’ve Been Gone A Long Time.” He spoke quietly, his brows furrowed, “I Know You’re _Trying_  To Come Back. No One Would Blame You For Trying… But… You… You  _Didn’t_  Keep Wingdings Here, Right? And You… You  _Couldn’t_  Have Been Causing Chara The Nightmares All These Years… Answer Me! …Please… “

 

The silence began to get to Sans, as time itched, passing and yet not, as he fidgeted, agitated at the complete absence of noise before shouting forcefully, “TELL ME YOU DIDN’T DO IT!” His font grew to its original strength as he raged against the silence, sockets flashing with cyan temper.

 

There was no response and he frowned suspiciously, unable to help feeling that someone was listening.

 

He hated it; the lack of response made him feel so helpless and small.

 

Of all the things to happen, from his opening that door, he hadn’t expected this … this _crushing_ solitude here. The last time he’d been here… he’d seen  ~~her~~ , melted, falling apart, begging without speaking, pleading without being heard, and then,  ~~she’d~~  vanished as soon as he reached out to touch her ~~, just like she’d never existed.~~

 

Sans had never felt so helpless before in his whole life, it was bad enough the first time.

 

Trying to find hope within himself he tugged on his scarf again, reminding himself that he needed to find Papyrus… and that he had to  _faith_  in  ~~her~~.

 

 ~~She~~  couldn’t have…  ~~she~~  couldn’t be doing this… right?

 

“Sans?!”

 

The blue-eyed skeleton turned to see Papyrus peering in the doorway. His younger brother gaped in disbelief as he and Undyne skidded to a stop in front of the Grey door.

 

Instead of entering the room when they’d found it, they’d teleported away, to Undyne’s lab as she scrambled for leftover equipment, anything that she could get her hand on. Then, they’d returned, only to discover that the door had been opened.

 

“Bro, what are you doing here?” Papyrus shook, his bones rattling in distress and Sans quickly leapt to his side, wrapping his brother in a tight hug, relieved to see one of his brothers safe.

 

“THANK THE STARS YOU’RE OK!” Sans was shaking, his bones rattling in response to Pap's jangle. It had been so easy to feel alone, in that small, weird gray box of a room…

 

Sans shook it off, as he remembered why he had come down here to begin with.

 

He pulled back to look at both Papyrus and Undyne.

“Paps, It’s Chara, She’s In A Coma! I Came To Tell You… But Then I Saw Paddles out of the water! Tell Me You Know Where Wingdings Is!” he pleaded.

 

“No, Sans, we don’t.” Papyrus replied shortly, his sockets flashing with agitation, “Why did you open this door? Since when are you so reckless! Anything could have happened!”

 

“What?! How Can You Say That?!” Sans shouted angrily, “ ~~Revue~~ would  _NEVER_ -“

 

“SHE’S NOT _HERE_ ANYMORE, SANS!” Papyrus shouted, his sockets flashing. Not this again. Sans had always claimed that ~~she~~ was still alive, but Papyrus, in spite of his remembrance of her existence, had never seen evidence of this, and had chalked Sans' claims up to that incredible positivity Sans always portrayed.

 

“You need to  _stop_ acting like she’s still here! She’s dead!” Papyrus continued, pain wrenching.

 

“YOU DON’T KNOW THAT!” Sans roared back, his sockets flaring in response. “ I KNEW YOU NEVER BELIEVED ME!”

 

Undyne swallowed, shrinking from the conflict, as her pupils constricted. Darkness… the darkness was growing. The door to the gray room was wide open and  ~~bad thoughts~~ were leaking out like poisonous fumes.

 

“Um, g-guys?” Undyne whispered, unable to find her voice.

 

The two skeletons were rattling their bones roughly in agitation, the noise drumming like a war song. All the bitter agony that they had suppressed and repressed, for all these years, all the resets, it was all bubbling out, feeding the darkness.

 

“YOU _NEVER_ HAD ANY FAITH IN ME!” Sans accused angrily, even as his inner conscience screamed at him to stop.

“IF  _THAT’S_  WHAT YOU REALLY THINK, THEN YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW  _ME_  ANYMORE!” Papyrus shouted back, his ire and anxiety wreaking havoc on his soul as his jaw clenched, his canines stark against the rest of his flat teeth. 

 

“G-GUYS! LOOK OUT!” Undyne shouted, her hands flashing with green magic as she summoned a shield over them, just as a goopy shadow snaked out from the room, nearly grabbing both of the skeletons.

 

The claw-like shadow was repulsed by the shield, and Sans and Papyrus both shouted in surprise, as Undyne threw a metal box that resembled Napstaton. The box exploded as it hit the ground, transforming, unfolding, into a robotic bodyguard that grabbed the brothers by their collars and yanked them away from the door while one leg telescoped outwards, to kick the door shut.

 

But it was too late, an overwhelming wave of black goop flooded against the door, spilling into the hallway like sand, it took form, shifting, changing, until a robed figure stood before them.

 

White particles floated into the air, forming a sharp, fragmented smile that was disconnected from where the face should have been. Red, piercing eyes glittered from within the depths of the cowl, sending chills down the spines of the monsters as the figure hummed and swayed.

 

 _~~"Humans… monsters… dolls…EVERYONE…"~~ _ ~~~~

The thing giggled insanely, whispering, singing, shadowy and yet becoming more physical and real with every second that passed as it swayed grotesquely, the smile growing as it hummed.

_~~"Have you ever heard the song coming from the sea?"~~ _ ~~~~

Undyne’s robot was still trying to close the door, but the darkness was pouring like liquid, slipping through the cracks.

  

The scientist was hyperventilating, trying with all her might to stay sane, to keep it together as she tremblingly grabbed a remote for the bot and pressed buttons to activate her secondary robot.

 

The primary robot locked in place, and a pack on its back unlocked and transformed into another, smaller robot, pushing the door alongside its larger counterpart, they inched the door nearer to a close. Still, the blackness leaked through, the cracks, pulsing, like a hungry acid.

 

“P-Paps, Sans, grab it’s S-SOUL! I have a SOUL Container, we can use!”

 

Papyrus and Sans had frozen in place at the sight of the creature.

 

Papyrus was trembling, his sockets shrunken and empty.

 “No... You- you  _fell down.”_  He whispered in shock.

 

Sans grabbed hold of Pap’s hand, as he stood firm, looking at the melting, goopy form.

“Paps, C’mon, Help Me With This!” The shorter skeleton commanded as he reached out towards the mad, grinning thing, his sockets awash with cyan and yellow magic as he reached for the entity’s soul.

 

Papyrus snapped out of his daze as he stretched out his arm as well, orange and gold magical output beginning to leak from his skull.

 

But to their immense surprise, trying to grab the thing’s soul was like trying to grab water, or air; it kept slipping through the cracks of their magic.

 

Papyrus shouted in surprise when the goop began to flood towards them, and he and Sans struck the ground, forming a barrier of bone between them and the onslaught.

 

“S-stay back!” Undyne shouted as she threw down two more boxes, both transforming into smaller robots. The bots held out their arms and blue magic poured from them, tinting the wall of bones that Sans and Papyrus had created, making it a barrier that could not be _moved_ through.

 

The being chuckled, a distorted, warbling sound.

 

_~~“Come… join the fun…”~~ _

 

To the horror of the three monsters, from the thick, swarming black ooze arose a form, the blackness running off of it like the whites from an egg, revealing a familiar weapon that rose high into the air, grinning down at the like death.

 

“Oh Fu- _Get Down_!” Sans shouted as he quickly raised more bones from the ground as a shield.

 

The eerie Gaster-Blaster that had arisen opened its maw and blasted away _both_ the barriers that had been keeping the ooze at bay.

 

The goop rushed towards them like a tidal wave, ready to devour them.

 

As Undyne, Papyrus and Sans braced themselves, the marshy ground suddenly became inundated with water, rising rapidly around their ankles and suddenly rising to form a solid barrier against the ooze.

 

“THIS WAY!” croaked a familiar voice.

 

Papyrus turned in surprise, as did Sans.

 

It was Wingdings, standing behind them, violet-tinged sweat running down his skull as his sockets blazed white and violet with magical power.

 

“Go!” he shouted, his boat paddle stuck into the ground, his expression horrified, “Get to safety!”

 

“We’re not gonna leave you, ‘Dings!” Papyrus growled and Sans and Undyne followed the taller skeleton as they grouped around Wingdings, focusing their power, they placed their strength and support on him, enveloping him with green magic.

 

Wingdings snarled through his jack-o-lantern teeth, his sockets flashing as he spoke, drawing strength from his family.

 

“ ~~You made your choice long ago. Go back to the Void.”~~

 

New cracks began to form in his skull, as he channeled the power of his brothers and friend.

 

Undyne was sweating and shaking. Memories were flooding back, the longer she stared at the adverse force, the source of all the negative photon readings, and the blue fish gasped in horror, realization and memory long forgotten tearing through her.

 

“ ~~R. P.~~ Gaster?!” She cried out, tears leaking down her cheeks.

 

 _ ~~Dark, Darker, Yet Darker. The Darkness keeps on growing…~~_ The thing's smile twisted, rotating til it's neck was turned all the way around, the smile now upside down, leering at Undyne.

 

Undyne analyzed the situation with sweating, webbed fingers clenching and unclenching. This… _thing_ was gathering strength, the longer they battled it.

 

But from what? Or whom?

 

 It hadn’t manifest like this until Sans and Papyrus had started fighting...

 

Undyne gasped, as it came to her.

 

The underground was full of negative energy. Everyone’s hope had been so drained, especially after the death of Asgore and Toriel's children...

 

This thing was feeding off  ~~bad thoughts.~~

 

And she, Wingdings, Papyrus and Sans had plenty of them to feed the monster in limbo before them.

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~

 

Roxy wasn’t quite sure how to describe what had happened, when she’d grabbed Temmie. _All_ she’d wanted to do was to protect Temmie and then… To be honest, she felt like her brains had been lightly scrambled, as well as her insides, (hence the throwing up). Nothing was severely wrong with her, other than mild disorientation and the slight remnants of nausea.

 

 As the befuddled human took deep breaths, she took stock of her surroundings, doing her best to follow Temmie through Waterfall. She shivered, in spite of the fact that she was sweating profusely; the air was _cold_ and slick with humidity. 

 

They'd passed a strange, wooden station that had snow on the roof. Roxy took a moment to stare at it before running after Temmie, thinking of Sans and Papyrus… and Chara.

 

This was not her best moment. She felt muddled, sick, and confused. But as her nausea ebbed away, clarity came to her, and Roxy spoke, calling out to Temmie.

 

“Tem, wait, stop, please. Who do you think caused Chara’s coma?”

 

“…I don’t think you would even believe me if I tried to explain it.” Temmie answered curtly, refusing to turn around.

 

Roxy began to chuckle, stumbling after the doll, “Hey, I’m still here, aren’t I? I'm not going anywhere. Besides, the fact that I’m  _under_  a mountain, in a  _marsh_  with a talking, teleporting monster… well, consider that a head-start to belief in your story, Tem.”

 

Temmie paused this time, looking back at Roxy with endless astonishment.

 

_God, you’re so weird, Weenis-Face!_

Slowly, Tem frowned, as she muttered, “Ok, look… I can’t tell you everything, but… Chara’s been having nightmares about… about the Void.”

 

“Void?” Roxy frowned as Temmie nodded curtly, “ Yes! Oh my god, pay attention! So, I can sort of teleport, right? And, I can’t exactly do it the way the Skeletons do. They are admittedly a lot better at it than I am, but we all go through the Void to do it. The Void, it’s… not a place that’s pleasant, and my way to travel through it is only possible because I… don’t have a SOUL. That’s why you were vomiting… it’s actually…” Temmie shivered, “I’m surprised you’re alive. I was never meant to warp with a human.”

 

“…What do you mean _you_ don’t have a SOUL?” Roxy asked, alarmed and shocked, choosing to focus on anything other than the fact that, apparently, she could have _died_.

 

“… it’s a very long story. There’s not too many people who know that about me. So don’t even think about just going and telling everyone.” Temmie added with a gnash of her teeth.

 

“No! I’d never… but this… this person you’re talking about, who you said caused the coma, I mean, how could they cause a coma when they’re all the way _here_?”

 

“The Void, idiot. The Void is _everywhere_ and _nowhere_. And that’s where this person seems to live… it doesn’t matter where Chara goes, the Void is there.”

  
“… That is honestly terrifying, “Roxy shuddered, “But why are they after Chara?”

 

“Because… Chara has a powerful soul, and they want it,” Temmie replied softly, “I know a possible place they’ve appeared before. If their power is growing, I’m willing to bet they’ve reappeared there.”

 

“And… once we _do_ find them… how are we going to reason with them?”

 

Unbeknownst to Roxy, Temmie was debating inside of herself about that very thing… and what she was going to do with Roxy herself.

 

There were three separate plans surfacing in her mind.

 

Option A, she could warp away and leave Roxy to find her way back home; Option B, she break her promise to Chara and simply kill Roxy, take her soul and use it to confront ~~the first royal scientist…~~

Or C, she could do nothing and just see how things played out.

 

But to be perfectly honest, the second option was looking better and better, the closer to the hallway they were getting. Temmie was starting to admit to herself that she was afraid. For the first time, in so very long, she didn’t _know_ what lay ahead, and truth be told, she wasn’t entirely sure that this _was_ the best thing. She had seen this person with her own eyes before… and had interacted with their followers too.

 

And besides that…

 

Temmie had seen that gray, cold door in the hallway that didn’t exist. She knew it held ~~bad thoughts.~~

But, she was willing to bet that this is where she would be the most likely to run into the ghost that was currently haunting Chara.

 

_I have to find out why they’re doing what they’re doing._

Temmie frowned as she looked over her shoulder at Roxy. And her mind was made up. This was the perfect opportunity to take back some form of control.

 

_Guess old habits just don’t die…_

 

“Hey, Vanilla… how much do you know about Souls? Monsters and human ones?”

 

“Oh… not too much. I mean, beyond the confirmation that they exist, I really don’t know anything.”

 

Temmie’s expression sharpened.

“Humans have powerful souls. It’s how the barrier was formed. Seven humans sealed the monsters away. And… well, it took 6 human souls, plus all the monster souls to break the barrier. There is another kind of soul, however. It’s when a monster absorbs a human soul. They gain the powers of a god.”

 

Roxy felt a shiver go down her spine at that, as Temmie paused and turned, looking up at Roxy, her face held… something unpleasant.

 

“But, _I_ don’t have a soul. I have Determination. BUT… if I had ONE human soul, I could boost it, with my determination, to protect Chara… and stop the bastard that’s hurting her.”

 

Suddenly, the world vanished around Roxy. Everything went completely dark, with Temmie’s form becoming sharper, clearer and yet, drained of color. And a cold, stark terror filled Roxy, as Temmie’s expression shifted to a demon countenance.

 

“Do you _get_ what I’m saying, Vanilla?” Temmie snarled in a distorted voice, “You _shouldn’t_ have cared about me. _You_ chose to grab onto me, when I fully intended to go confront the Void man by myself, and now, I have the option to better my chances of saving my friend by taking your soul. _All_ I have to do is kill you.”

 

…

 

“You’re joking.” Roxy tried laughing it off, but her voice cracked as she trembled, “Heh, heh, you got me good, Temmie…”

 

But Temmie wasn’t laughing. In fact, she seemed quite agitated, and Roxy felt the strangest sensation as _~~something important~~_ pulled away from her. A glowing red heart appeared in front of her, separating itself from her body with a weird yank.

 

White, flaky bullets surrounded her heart and Temmie frowned, almost regretful, “I told you, Vanilla. I have no soul. There’s nothing personal about this. Nothing personal at all.”

 

And Roxy screamed as the bullets struck the floating heart like tiny daggers.

 

It was the worst pain she’d ever felt. She felt like she was dying, as she fell to her knees, coughing pitifully.

“I didn’t want this! YOU made me do this!” Temmie shrieked, angry at the whole damn situation and holding onto that anger as she summoned more bullets to strike into Roxy’s SOUL.

 

However, Roxy coughed and held out her hands, choosing to plead with the doll.

 

“Temmie stop this! I know you don’t really want to hurt me!”

 

The bullets flew into her and she screamed in pain.

 

“You’re gonna have to _fight_ me, Vanilla Weenis, cause I’m not turning back now!”  
Temmie growled.

 

Roxy coughed, looking Temmie dead in the eye as she snarled back, ”If you think for _one second_ that I’m going to lay a _finger_ on you to harm you, you are _wrong_. I am your nanny, and you are _my_ kiddo! I refuse to let _anything_ hurt you! I won’t let you kill me, but I’m not going to fight you either!”

 

Temmie snarled, even as her face twisted grotesquely, “I don’t care!”

 

But her bullets missed Roxy’s SOUL this time, and the doll trembled angrily.

 

“I know you’re scared, you have every right to be. But this isn’t going to help Chara. I want to help you, but you can’t just _steal my soul._ It's not right. _”_ Roxy tremblingly stood to her feet, her soul pulsing strangely.

 

“I have no choice! What, you wanted me to ask you _nicely_? ‘Excuse me, miss Roxy, but can I borrow your soul? I need it to save my one and only friend!’ ” Temmie replied sarcastically.

 

…

 

“ _Could_ you borrow it, and then return it once you take it? I give you my soul… and you leave my body intact?” Roxy asked, suddenly genuinely curious.

 

Temmie stared blankly before trembling.

 

This was insane. No way was this idiot actually serious.

 

Out of curiosity, Temmie Checked the human standing before her, astonished at what she found.

 

_Roxy McBridgette 1 ATK 20 DEF_

_‘This idiot’s not joking around.’_

It crashed on Temmie, leaving her speechless. Roxy _really_ was serious about wanting to protect her… wanting to help her.And she was seriously considering letting Temmie  _borrow_ her soul.

Which just went to show how clueless she was about souls. 

 

Sweat ran down Temmie’s face, as she suddenly concluded that… if she did this… if she took this _idiot’s_ soul and killed her, and somehow _managed_ to actually use said soul to save Chara, just like she wanted, Chara would _never_ forgive her. And besides, she remembered from the last time, that having a soul meant having feelings…. And then, she really would regret taking the soul, because Roxy's death would haunt her, especially with the levels of integrity that were shining through the idiot's soul.

  
So Temmie snarled, angrily, as she hissed, “You know what, I don’t _want_ your lousy soul. It’s _pathetic._ I can do this just _fine_ without one.”

 

Disgusted, Temmie spared the human before her, pausing as she screeched in frustration, “Damn it, now I’ve got to heal you! I think there was an food item somewhere around here.”

 

Temmie warped away, finding the Abandoned Quiche under the lonely park bench, she brought it back to Roxy, who wolfed down the mossy quiche mess without hesitation. A green hue surrounded her briefly, as her HP was ~~mossed~~ maxed out.

 

“Let’s go.” Temmie said flatly as she continued leading the way.

 

Roxy followed, confused, but somewhere deep inside, she felt all her relief and tension melt together, into a strong feeling.

 

Confronting Temmie and changing her mind had filled her with ~~D E T E R M I N A T I O N.~~

 

“Wait, Temmie… how do you know so much? What _is_ your story in all this?” Roxy questioned, as they quickly left the room with the bridge seeds.

 

Temmie curtly replied, “I’m a little older then 16, and I’ve seen some shit. I’ve done some shit too. Before I met Chara, I wouldn’t have thought twice about killing you.”

 

“I knew you wouldn’t, Temmie. You're not nearly as bad as you seem to think you are.” Roxy replied in a quiet voice as she waded through the thick, watery ground.

 

Temmie had to laugh at that, though she said nothing.

 

_God, you really are an idiot, Roxy._

But… it had been so long since someone had trusted her, the way Roxy had.

 

Probably a mistake on Roxy’s part… but Temmie couldn’t help but think of Chara. All the times in the past that Chara had stuck her neck out, had forgiven Temmie, even after all the terrible things she had done. No, Temmie was going to keep her promise and, somehow, she would find the means to accomplish her goal without killing.

 

 _Somehow…_ maybe having Roxy here wouldn’t be so bad. In a way… Temmie had felt comforted by Roxy's idiotic trust.

 

“ _Maybe things will be ok.”_

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

As they came to the gray hallway that didn’t’ exist, the silence caused Temmie to pause instantly with suspicion.

 

It _wasn’t like_ this damn place to be so _quiet_.

 

The door was wide, wide open.

 

“Roxy… watch my back.” Temmie growled as she “blinked” next to the doorway peering inside.

 

Temmie had seen lots of horrific things over her timelines, and had done plenty to create horror herself.

 

But the sight that met her eyes shocked her to the extreme, melting onto her expression seamlessly. And to her bitter chagrin, Roxy had walked towards her in concern, seeing that terrified expression.

 

The human shrieked when she looked into the room and Temmie snarled” No, you IDIOT!” as Roxy pushed into the room, crossing the threshold without hesitation.

 

The room, which Temmie had only seen once before, had been empty, with a single, melted figure in the center, phasing in and out of existence before vanishing.

 

But _now_ , the room was full of a strange black substance goopy and grainy and _wrong_.

 

And engrained within the black ooze, webbed against the walls, were Papyrus, Undyne, Sans and Wingdings.

 

They were limp and unconscious, but they hadn’t dusted, so they were obviously alive.

 

Temmie warped in front of Roxy, keeping the human from stepping in the ooze as she screeched, “YOU IDIOT, WILL YOU LISTEN TO ME?”

 

But the Ooze began to move, shift, and suddenly, there was a figure that had arisen from the weird substance.

 

Everything about this was erroneous, this room, the black, thick ooze, the figure that approached without moving.

 

The entity almost seemed blurred, features unclear until it was mere feet from them. Temmie trembled, as she recognized that energy and that… that creepy expression glinting from the hood.

 

Roxy instantly picked up on Tem's fear and quickly moved to scoop up the shaking doll protectively, her expression horrified and yet fierce as she observed the thing.

 

 ~~“Greetings, MK. It’s been a while.”~~ The thing spoke with a childish, warbling tone, directing its attention at Temmie.

 

Temmie shook with fear. She recognized the figure, but it was acting entirely different from the last time. She was beginning to realize that, in fact, that this was _not_ the same thing from before. Something had possessed it... and she felt she knew what that was...

 

“F-frisk?” Temmie choked in horror.

 

There was a distorted, trilling sound, like a laugh, and a hum.

 

“ ~~I’d love to catch up with you right here and now, MK, but that human’s soul and body… looks very homey. I’m tired of being attached to this useless waste of a existence~~.”

Roxy spoke now, hugging Temmie, she snapped at the swirling black beast, “I don’t know _who the hell you are_ , but you are _not_ going to continue like this. You are going to let my friends go, you are going to leave Chara _alone_ and you are going to stop this behavior _right now_.”

 

The figure laughed again, the sound screeching through Roxy’s eardrums. Temmie was trembling, vibrating, unable to act, unable to move.

 

~~“ _Oh, I know all about you, miss Weenis Breath. You think you can scare me into submission like all those little kids you take care of?”_~~

Roxy turned a violent shade of red as she snarled, “Damn it does EVERYONE know about the Weenis thing?!”

 

Temmie leapt out of Roxy’s arms, summoning a multitude of bullets to surround Roxy and herself as the figure rushed straight towards them.

 

Temmie snarled, “We’re going to enter an encounter, Roxy! Whatever you do, STAY DETERMINED!”

 

Temmie’s voice was drowned out by silence, as the world once again faded to black and Roxy stood face to face with the melted, goopy figure, which grinned sharply at her, practically ignoring Temmie.

 

~~“This should be fun... and very, very interesting.”~~

 

Roxy had never felt so scared before in her life. She was just a human, with low self-esteem and so very many issues.

 

But as the figure grinned at her, with it’s disarming smile and red eyes, Roxy clenched her fists as she surveyed her options. She could cave in, just like all the times before when she’d been forced into a confrontation… or she could show some fucking backbone for once. Temmie had already summoned Bullets, which hovered around Roxy’s soul, leaving the next action up to the human.

 

She chose to talk first, her voice cracking at first before growing in strength, as she beseeched it..

 

“We don’t have to fight! I don’t want to hurt you, or anyone for that matter! I don’t think you want to either!”

 

The figure snorted before laughing loudly. But it had hesitated and Roxy noted that sharply.

 

“ ~~You truly are an idiot if that’s what you think!~~ ”

 

Roxy’s SOUL was pulled from her chest, and razor sharp knife-like projectiles dove towards the glowing heart in a dizzying pattern.

 

With narrowed eyes, Roxy dodged, hyperventilating, as her soul was nicked, over and over again. But the pellets Temmie had summoned managed to minimize the damaged, and Roxy tried again, weighing the options before her as Temmie summoned more bullets, putting up another guard as she growled, “Vanilla, you’d better _do_ something here, and quick!”

 

But Roxy wasn’t going to fight, she didn’t even know how, if she wanted to.

 

So, she chose to talk again, searching for answers.

“Why are you doing this? What is it that you really _want_?” she asked.

 

At that, there was a distortion in the figure, the eyes flickering briefly before changing from red, to a strange, heterochromia, one side white, the other golden.

 

 ~~“ _W a n t… t o…   b e … r e a l”_ ~~The voice had changed from a childish tone to a low guttural pitch, stuttering with a distorted, anguished voice.

 

The attack changed, instead of knife-like projectiles, this time, four strange, skull-like objects appeared, their maws opening and firing golden light towards Roxy’s SOUL.

 

Both Temmie and Roxy shrieked, as Roxy was too slow to move, getting hit once again before moving out of the way. Again, Temmie’s bullets took the brunt of the damage, however, Roxy’s Hp was steadily dropping.

 

But… but something had happened there. Something had changed. Roxy trembled, refusing to back down, she sharply observed the monster before her. There was a stirring in the cowl and the hood, and Roxy frowned as she checked the entity.

 

_“???/???”_

_? ATK_

_? DEF_

 

_“Internal conflict exudes from their being.”_

The thought came unbidden to Roxy and she suddenly realized this wasn’t just _one_ person… it was _two._

“Who are you?!” Temmie shouted, confirming Roxy’s suspicions, “Are you actually Frisk? Or are you someone else?!”

 

In speaking out, Temmie had forgone summoning Bullets, leaving Roxy’s SOUL fully exposed.

 

But… was this other personality more reasonable? They said they wanted to be real… did that mean they no longer wanted to be in the Void?

 

Roxy’s turn was over, apparently, as the red eyes flickered back angrily, _“ ~~I WILL HAVE YOUR SOUL!"~~_

The knives were back and with renewed vigor, Roxy dodged, her soul beginning to glimmer with cyan light as she thought of something else.

 

The Void was everywhere and nowhere, right? … did that mean that, somehow, Chara’s mind was here? If this thing was behind Chara’s coma… was it possible to reach out to the fallen human?

 

Roxy’s soul was struck again and she screamed in pain. She opened her mouth and screamed for help.

 

…

 

**_But nobody came_ **

****

Roxy braced herself as innumerable projectiles lit up all around her.

 

Her SOUL pulsed weakly as it was weakened to 1 HP.

 

“ROXY!” Temmie screamed.

 

_(??? is taking your soul)_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this was late!  
> The next chapter will be out on Friday, I promise!


	18. "Bad Thoughts"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pain ripples and isolates.  
> Is determination really enough?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A warning for depression, suicidal thoughts... there's some heavy stuff here.

 

 

Undyne shivered, unable to move, lacking the desire to even _try_ , her anxiety plaguing her, paralyzing her, _as always._

 

Her mistakes, her lies, all her sins scratched at her, like so many leeches draining the life from her as the faces of all the people she’d failed throughout her life flashed before her in a horrific display.

 

Her failure to be a rock for Alphys on the surface came to mind first, squeezing the breath out of her.

 

Undyne knew that Alphys was _trying_ _._ The saurian warrior was being pulled in so many different directions at once. The police department, which actively picked apart her every move pulled one way, her struggles to try to maintain some form of friendships with Chara, Queen Toriel, Sans pulled her the other; all the while, she was longing to be there for Undyne.

 

The scientist could tell that all these things were tearing Alphys apart, and yet, she couldn't break through to help her beloved lizard, as she struggled with her own unhappiness. Sure, she managed to mask it, for short periods at a time, but the mask was wearing thin.

Every day that she came home to an empty house, it reminded her too much of her life in the underground… and the mistakes that had been made _there_ began to play in her mind next.

 

Her catastrophes in the Underground, always with her, haunting the edges of her mind. The corpses of the fallen monsters melting together in terrifying science, their cries of pain and suffering… All because of her failure, her continual misunderstanding of the effects of determination in a monster’s body…

 

The horror of what she'd done had been too great to bear, and every time she'd tried to reverse what she'd done, it would always end with her seeking escape from her own pain and suffering.

 

Undyne shook uncontrollably, quivering with agony as she wept, her soul seeming to fold in on itself. She’d always been betrayed by her emotions. Always...

 

A weird, blurry memory surfaced, as though hidden by a veil.

 

“ _ ~~Undyne what’s wrong?~~ ”_

__

_“ ~~Doctor R.P., I’m sorry. I messed up the formula again!~~ ”_

__

_“ ~~… Undyne, you’re letting your emotions control your actions again. In this field of work, you can’t do that. Your emotions can drive you, but~~_ ~~never _let them get in the way of your analyzing and actions. This isn't like your robotics, where you can actively take apart your mistakes and rebuild. Once a chemical is mixed, there's no separating it._~~   _”_

__

_“ ~~Yes ma’am.~~ ”_

_“N ~~ow go and find Papyrus. I think he must be taking a nap somewhere, and I need to speak with him about the Core. There is a very important decision I need to make.~~ ”_

Undyne didn’t know why, but her heart ached… like there was ~~someone~~ something missing. Spiraling down into overwhelming sadness, Undyne went limp, as she sobbed, chanting in broken intervals, _“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry-“_

 She didn't even know who she was apologizing to.

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Wingdings groaned, his bones creaking, as his iniquities scuttled over him, scratching like the sharp appendages of the water beetles that would crawl onto his boat sometimes. Despair and self-loathing swirled inside of him, dulling his soul and extinguishing the lights from his sockets.

 

He _so very_ clearly remembered the last thing his father had spoken to him before turning to dust.

 

_“Take care of ~~Revue Plain~~. You know ~~she’ll~~ overwork herself to death, so someone needs to look after ~~her~~ when I’m gone, son. Teach her to accept ~~herself~~ as ~~she~~ is, son. Promise me.”_

And what did he do? He let his ~~sister~~ die. No, worse, he’d let everyone _forget about her entirely._

 

Wingdings was swept into that exact moment, when ~~she’d~~ fallen, refusing help, refusing logic, ~~her~~ only desire to sacrifice ~~herself~~ to save ~~her~~ people ~~to rid the world of her existence~~.

 

 _It was_ his _fault the CORE was inadequate. He’d given ~~her~~ the perfect excuse to pour ~~herself~~ into oblivion, powering the underground with ~~her~~  own SOUL. ~~Five other monsters~~ had been lost, trying to prevent ~~Revue~~ from using ~~her~~ SOUL as a power source, and ~~they'd~~ vanished along with ~~her~~._

 Wingding’s sockets, damaged from the explosion that took place that day, became saturated with violet tears, as he cried out in anguish reminded that it was his fault that Sans and Papyrus had lost their ~~big sister.~~

 Guilt weighed on him like an anchor ever since that horrible day.

It had been his idea to use the River's reservoir to power the CORE, so  _of course_ it had started to leak with the voices that had been lost that day… but ~~her~~ voice drowned them all out, singing and humming to him as he traversed the water, reminding him that he was a failure, and yet he couldn't bring himself to work anywhere else, wanting, _needing,_ to be punished for his mistakes.

He couldn’t even grieve in a healthy manner, allowing himself to grow distant from his younger brothers, absent, even as he watched them grow up together in sorrow.

_He was such a shit brother. What was the point in even trying? He’d effortlessly destroyed his ~~sister~~ and he would let them down if he even tried._

So when he’d been trapped in the Underground, a part of him was glad. Glad that he wouldn’t taint the lives of his little brothers. They were finally free of him.

His voice croaked forth as pain lanced through him once again, shivering and sobbing like the pathetic being he was...

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Darkness surrounded him, once again, and Sans’ breath hitched, as he was painfully reminded of each time that he was cut down, after reaching out to ~~Chara~~ the human with a hug.

 

“ _W-Well, That’s Not What I Expected…”_

 

The despair he’d felt, after each cut, had accumulated into a big ball of agony, and yet, he _tried_ to hold on to hope, wishing on every single star stone, praying with all his might. Eventually, she’d returned the hug-

 

The memories shifted very suddenly, and his soul ached, as he watched _both_ of his brothers fall to pieces, in spite of his best efforts to keep them together.

 

It didn’t matter how _hard_ he tried, what he did for them, or the effort he put into their day-to-day lives. Wingdings and Papyrus were falling further and further away from him.

 

Papyrus spoke less and less, until it seemed like he would only communicate in those ridiculous puns, and Wingdings came home from the River later and later, likewise leaving earlier and earlier, til it seemed like he was never home at all.

 

Sans had never felt _so alone_ and it drove him to sneak alcohol from Muffet’s place, as he tried, tried so hard to drown out the sorrow and the bad memories that resided inside of him, trying to keep his courage up, his hope on his sleeve and love in his SOUL.

 

The memories shifted to another scene, an explosion that he was being held back from, as he tried to reach out to grab ~~Revue Plain.~~

But she was _gone_ , gone from the very fabric of _existence,_ and all he had left from her was the blue scarf around his neck, which he now clutched, as he hyperventilated, panicked and despairing.

__

Sans grimaced painfully at his own hypocrisy; his smile was a lie, his cheer was a crushing effort, and everyday, he seemed to fail to bring any happiness to those he cared about.

 

The four siblings had been torn apart, and there was _nothing_ he could do, except watch helplessly. It never seemed to matter how hard he worked… and yet he couldn’t admit to his unhappiness. If he showed his true feelings, if he told anyone about it, then he would fail his brothers all over again.

 

When the barrier broke, he had felt so happy... but then it was revealed that Wingdings couldn't leave. They were still going to be torn apart, even as they got their happy ending.

 

Sans had tried to put on a brave face, surely since the barrier was broken, that meant that there was hope, right? 

 

The memories shifted again as s _he’d_ appeared. That sweet smile, bright eyes, those gentle curves, and a _promise_ that if he would _just do everything she’d wanted_ , he could find happiness and fulfillment within her loving  ~~strangling~~ arms.

 

… what a sweet, sweet lie that had been, and he’d fallen for it, hook, line and sinker.

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Papyrus struggled to move. Something was _attaching_ itself to him and he was hyper aware of it, and yet, he couldn’t move, not a single phalange. The lanky skeleton couldn’t access his magic either and desolation began to creep on him, as all his mistakes were rewound and played inside his head like a VHS cassette.

 

The deaths of his parents tore through him, reminding him that it was _his_ fault that he’d grown without a mother, and that his father had died of a broken, weakened SOUL.

Although it was never said, he knew that he’d single-handedly killed _both_ his parents, and taken them away from his siblings.

 

The death of his ~~half-sister~~ stabbed him, reminding him that he’d _never_ be strong enough to save _anyone_ , he would never be _smart_ enough either, no matter how much he studied, or many scientific equations he shoveled into his mind.

And then, oh _then,_ he saw _all_ the countless times that Chara had chosen to kill. The dusty memories cracked through him like a million volts of electricity, reminding him that he was useless, worthless, unable to stop _anyone_ from dying.

 

And sure, she had turned a new leaf, somehow, reseting before using her determination to kill him, (why she chose to spare him, he'd never know) but then, with the barrier broken, new problems arose, Wingding's entrapment reminding him that he was a garbage scientist, and Sans' pain reminding him that he couldn't protect his brother.

 

Like some cosmic joke, it seemed all Papyrus was good for was being a witness, with his ability to remember  _everything._ not even when he'd found out that Wingdings and Sans shared some of those memories did he find comfort. It only highlighted that he was a garbage brother, who couldn't even shield his family from  _bad memories._ it would have almost been worth it, if he could have born those memories alone, sparing his family from the eternal pain.

 

Papyrus cried out, aching, sobbing as his pain ripped him up like wet paper.

_He had never felt so worthless before in his life…_

_8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8_

 

Chara whimpered, as the Void seemed to swallow her yet again.

 

 Bad memories swung at her from the left and right, cutting deeply as she was reminded of her weakness, all the times she’d given into the spirit of Frisk and her own curiosity, striking down the innocent monsters, who only wanted to be free.

 

And of course, life before that fired into her brain, reminding her of the hatred that had been directed her, the pain and misery that drove her to Mt. Ebott…

_She’d been so jealous of the happiness that the monsters seemed to cling to, all of them in someway, seeming to glow with cheerfulness, in spite of the situation they were in._

It’d driven her angry, repulsed her at first. It just seemed so _unfair_ that they should be happy, while she was broken, beyond measure.

 

The first cuts had been so very easy, and the whispering from the ruins drove her further, and further, into her genocidal runs… but once she’d cut her way to Papyrus… she’d suddenly realized.

 

_She was poisoning this place, infecting it with her bad thoughts. Just like her parents had done to her._

 

And so, repulsed by what she'd become, she’d reset, again and again, determined to find a better way to continue. Every now and then, she thought she’d heard Frisk's angry whisper, but she _refused_ to hurt anyone else. Not after seeing the despair on Papyrus’ face.

 

If it took her entire life, she’d prove it to them-

 

_The faces of the slain flashed before her, Toriel’s shocked expression, Sans’ merciful forgiveness, Alphys’ undying determination, flashing before her over and over, in an endless loop, until-_

 

Chara _screamed_ , uncurling and writhing in agony, as misery took bites of that hope that had briefly glimmered and filled her with poisonous anguish… and a slow chuckle warbled in her ear.

_~~“Did you think you could escape me? I will~~ _ ~~have _your soul, one way or another…”_~~

__

The voice was cut off, as something **broke** through, a shattering noise ringing out and echoing across space and time.

 

 _The flustered and yet determined voice (_ Roxy? What are _you_ doing here?) _broke through the painful haze, startling Chara awake._

 

 _And yet, she_ wasn' _t awake. This darkness... it was different from the freezing Void she had woken up in so many times before._

_Where was she?_

_What was this?_

_Chara had been dreaming, dreaming of the past, unable to get around it, unable to see through it._

“Just give up… what’s the point?”

“Papyrus?” _Chara dared to call out, confused by her change in environment._

_She was warm, and she didn't feel the usual sweat running down her back, nor did she feel the terror that had prickled her shoulders so many times before._

_Where… where was she?_

“I Must Capture A Human! Then Everyone Will…”

_“SANS!” Chara cried out, trembling. Not this again! But MonsterKid wasn't here, with his godlike powers, the trapped souls resonating inside of him._

“If they find out the truth…”  _Undyne’s cracking voice, trembling and broken._

_Chara cried out, screaming, “You guys! It’s ok! I’ll SAVE you! I’M HERE! I’m coming!”_

_The human ran, and yet, she went nowhere. It was like running on that damn treadmill that Papyrus had left for her in his room._

_Her voice echoed strangely, as she called out, in the emptiness. But as silence reigned once again, Chara blinked rapidly, and she frowned. Was…. Were those voices just_ bad memories _?_

 _She stilled, as another memory came to her, strong and warm,_ “Chara! You have to stay determined! Do not give up just now.”

 

_“Mom?!” Chara called._

 

_And then, strangely, that same voice broke through to her, speaking strongly._

 

“I’M NOT GIVING UP TODAY!”

 

_Chara blinked in surprise. That was definitely Roxy, and her voice had echoed weirdly, like she was speaking from behind a glass window._

 

“Trouble May Come And Go, And I Know I’m Only Human, But Damn It, I’m Not Gonna Live My Life In Regret And Sadness!"

_There was a definite direction that Roxy's voice was ecohing from, and Chara's_  Determination _began to flourish inside of her, as she was reminded of the family she'd chosen back on the surface._

_This was certainly_ not _the Void she had come to know, which swallowed all her sounds and devoured every last bit of her. There was no other presence, no Void beasts that surrounded her, hungry and desperate._

_This_ couldn’t _be a reset. It wasn’t her usual Save either. What was this? Had she died?_

_But… she’d promised. She’d promised Papyrus and Sans… she would never reset again._

_They had their happy ending… so why?_

_She didn’t_ want _this; she had no desire to go back._

_None at all._

_It was too painful. In spite of everything, she wanted to keep moving forward._

For good or bad, she WANTED to experience new things; for her friends, her family... for herself. She was  _DETERMINED._

_And that’s when Chara realized._

_This place was no dream. There was an artificial feel to it…_

_Who was pulling the strings this time?_

 

_Chara forced back her fear, closing her eyes, as she focused on her memories of the past resets… and the strange, gray monsters that she had glimpsed before in her numerous resets; the ones who’d vanished once she turned her back on them, as though they never existed._

_Wingdings had given her a cryptic, croaking warning, once, when she’d mentioned the gray beings to him, refusing to speak anymore to her after giving a strange answer she didn’t understand._

 

~~�Beware the one who speaks in riddles.�~~

_He’d spoken in a strange language that rearranged itself in her head, so she was able to retain the strange message._

_Closing her eyes tightly, Chara began to walk towards the direction that Roxy's voice had shouted. Without opening her eyes, her SOUL pounding, filling with BRAVERY as she snarled low in her throat. If Roxy was here, fighting somewhere, then she wouldn't bow down to her own fears either!_

 

_Chara's steps quickened, as she felt herself make progress, thinking of her friends and her desire to help them; she was filled with swelling KINDNESS._

_As she ran, her steps became certain, and she was filled with INTEGRITY, strong in her convictions that this was the right thing to do._

_Until she ran right into a wall, and it knocked her clean on her butt._

_Rubbing her head, she kept her eyes closed, filled with PERSEVERANCE, she stood and held her hand out to the wall, feeling around, she searched. Uncertainty clouded her for but a moment, until she relaxed, filled with PATIENCE as she diligently searched._

_At last, she found the_ **doorknob** _. ~~Bad thoughts~~  crept into her fingers, but she shoved that aside as she was filled with JUSTICE. _

_Chara, the last fallen human, flung open the door, eyes closed, but her SOUL wide open, filled with_ _D E T E R M I N AT I O N._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully this cliffhanger isn't as bad as the last one. *chuckles awkwardly*  
> Thanks everyone, for your kudos and comments.


	19. "In Spite Of Everything, It's Still You"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life."  
> Proverbs 13:12.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...Here we go again.
> 
> Um, a warning for a brief stint in self-harm.

 

Temmie snarled as her eyes glowed, grabbing onto Roxy’s socked foot with her teeth as she pelted the Void Entity with bullets, but the being before her swatted away her powers with overwhelming contempt and arrogance, yanking Roxy’s body away forcefully.

 

The doll’s magic was almost spent and her determination was wavering at the sight of what seemed to be her dead sibling, amalgamated with the ~~First Royal Scientist~~ in a terrifying, overwhelmingly giant force.

 

_How did that even happen?_

 

The question seemed unimportant, as Temmie watched the blackness roll Roxy’s body up, wrapped in the thing’s embrace like a helpless grasshopper in the clutches of a silk-using predator.

 

“ _Why_ are you doing this?” Temmie snarled, even as she was gripped by a sense of helplessness, “I thought you wanted _Chara’s_ SOUL! Why are you even bothering with Roxy’s soul?!”

 

The being hummed and giggled causing Temmie’s face to vibrate with agitation, unsure of how to proceed.

 

“Frisk, is that really _you_ in there?” The doll squinted and squirmed in discomfort. Frisk’s personality had always overshadowed her own, and even now, Soulless as she was, his dominating personality squeezed the breath out of her, even as she stood her ground.

With a mocking laugh, the Void monster grimaced incongruously at Temmie, causing the doll to waver as Roxy disappeared from sight within the black, grainy ooze. 

 

**~~“Oh c’mon, MK, Are you really _you_ , in that ridiculous body?”~~ **

 

Temmie cringed, as she remembered her past self, and she trembled, refusing to back down or cry as she sneered, “I guess we’ve _both_ changed for the worst then!”

****

**~~“Obviously not enough. If you had killed this human and taken their soul, you _might_ have had a chance at stopping me!”~~** that creepy, red smile seemed to grow, and the split distortion that had swirled there before, in Roxy’s interaction with the Void monster, seemed lost.

 

“You…” Temmie didn’t bother asking how the remnants of her old friend knew about Temmie’s near murder of Roxy.

 

The Void was everywhere and nowhere.

Of course they knew.

 

The doll felt her determination sink even lower, as the black, robed entity seemed to grow in size, towering over her in a way that seemed impossible in the small, gray room, their humming morphing into raucous, triumphant laughter as it screeched.

**_~~“Your ingratitude over your OWN EXISTENCE SICKENS ME!”~~ _ **

**__ **

The figure darkened, tendrils of inky blackness leaking like a sickly mist from it as their voice distorted and rose in pitch.

 

 **_~~“For an~~ _ ** ~~eternity ** _, I’ve been stuck, with this pathetic excuse of an existence, watching you screw up the Timelines over and over again! Monsters, Humans… dolls…. EVERYONE deserves to die!_**~~ **“**

The screech rippled and the Underground trembled, shaking the surface and the Void.

 

**_~~“I’m going to take this pathetic human’s soul… and I’m going to take Chara’s soul too… then I’ll ERASE THIS POINTLESS WORLD!”~~ _ **

 

Temmie cowered, horrified, and then puzzled, as the image distorted again, those heterochromia eyes flashing and that deeper, croaking voice whispering, _~~“Maybe then, I’ll find some rest”~~_

 

As the doll cowered helplessly, she looked at the VOID Amalgamate, desperately trying to find Roxy when she noticed that there was something glimmering within the depths of the pitching goop.

 

A weak, feeble red pulse… and then a dull indigo pulse; was Roxy’s soul being devoured within?

 

Despair leaked into Temmie, causing her stumble back, sitting on her haunches, her eyes shrunk into small slits. She didn't see a way out of this... she had gambled and lost, and now, Chara was gonna die and it was all her fault.

 

The being seemed to fully fix its eyes onto her, grinning sharply as the eyes flashed red once more, the grainy ooze rising like a tidal wave and then enveloping Temmie with overwhelming force. 

 _ ~~“That’s right…~~_ ** ~~give~~** _ ~~your bad thoughts to me.”~~_  

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Chara had finally dared to open her eyes, horrified at the sight that awaited her.

 

She was still in the dark, yet, it seemed to be a less tangible darkness, because she could see lights up ahead. Not just any lights, she could see monster SOULs, glimmering up ahead. The SOULs of her friends dangled, a ghostly outline of their physical bodies hinging and centered over the pulsating lights.

 

With long, determined strides, Chara ran, reaching out for her friends. The ghostly outline of Papyrus drooped there, and she ran to him first, remembering how full of despair he was.

 

“Papyrus… can you hear me? It’s me… Chara.” She begged, hesitating, before reaching out, love, hope and compassion gracing her intent as she reached out to the friend who had stood against her when she’d wandered down that dark path, so long ago.

 

Temmie understood her, yes, but Papyrus had reached out to her in friendship first, even after she’d wandered down her path of destruction. He’d always been there, watching her silently, patient and unsure, _wanting_ to be friends, and yet, unable to let hope swell inside of him. And when she’d finally realized that he was just like her, unhappy and longing for peace, that was her turning point. The moment she became determined for a happy ending, and yet, it hadn’t been enough.

 

She hated that he was unhappy, even now.

 

And so, she reached out to him in the only way she knew how.

 

“Hey, Pap, remember the last time we ‘ first met’? How you told me to turn around and shake your hand? Remember how you had a whoopee cushion, and… all the times before, I thought it was gross, but that time, for some reason, I just couldn’t stop laughing, even before I had squeezed the noise out. And you were just so surprised by my reaction, you took a minute longer to speak to me.”

 

Her soul began to pulse, with Kindness, Patience and Determination, as she added, with a smile, “There are so many people who love you, Papyrus, even if you don’t think so. Asgore valued your company so much, during his exile. He would have been so alone, if not for you. Sans worries about you, sure, but he trusts you, too, and he’d do anything for you, to make you happy. Alphys and Undyne both value your friendship, beyond measure, Paps…. So please… I’m _not_ giving up on you…so don’t give up on yourself!”

 

Chara felt tears race down her cheeks as she laughed slightly, “My old friend… I made a promise. I’m GOING to keep it. As sure as Skeletons tile their roofs with SHINgles.”

 

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

 

 _Papyrus had stopped struggling, allowing himself to dangle in his misery. It’s not like he hadn’t felt like this before. What was the point? He was useless, worthless; he couldn’t save_ anyon _e, not his family, not his friends and certainly not himself._

_He was just one big screw up…_

_…_

_A warmth, comforting and soft, spread through him unexpectedly, and he could vaguely hear Chara, speaking. The warmth started small, a single flickering of his soul in the overwhelming darkness, but as her voice grew clearer, and the warmth grew._

“Hey, Paps, what instrument do skeletons like to play? Trom _bones_.”

 

_A reluctant smile broke through Papyrus’ pain, remembering that moment that he’d told that joke to Chara. It was in her last Pacifist run, the one that unlocked their final ending. There had been so many good moments in that run, almost blocking out the bad times that Chara had given him, as she befriended every monster, showed kindness, patience, integrity, justice, bravery and perseverance, mixed in with her determination._

“Find that humerus, did’ja?”

_A chuckle burst from him, the noise he made startling him slightly, as his soul began to resonate, and the darkness beginning to even out with tones of gray. All the good times that Chara had shared with him, her insistence that she was going to break the barrier, and prove herself to him._

“Oh, did I get your funny bone?”

_He laughed harder, blinking in surprise, and could practically_ hear _that shit-eating grin of hers as she declared blandly,_ “I was gonna tell you a joke about a pencil, but I can’t. It’s pointless.”

 

 _With those jokes, good memories came_ flooding _in, dispersing the darkness like bats fleeing the dawn._

_Papyrus couldn’t forget the first time that Chara ran through the Underground without killing, her efforts to undo her previous sins standing out in such contrast, it seemed like she was a different person. He recalled the many times she’d died to the monsters’ hands, refusing to fight back, until she’d befriended every monster in the Underground._

 

 _When she’d finally reached Judgment Hall, her stats purified by her new actions, Papyrus had for the first time, felt a glimmer of Hope, as he chuckled and told her,_ “I’m rootin’ for ya kiddo.”

_With these memories, Papyrus emergered from his gloom, as his final laughter broke through the cocoon of pain._

_He blinked to see Chara standing before him, tears sparkling in her eyes, as he was loosed from the darkness. His body, back in the real world began to wake up and all he could do was grin in gratitude at Chara, as he faded back into the real world._

 

_Chara ran to Sans next, taking his hand excitedly, as she laughed, no more tears on her face as Justice and Integrity swelled inside of her at the sight of her bravely struggling friend._

_“_ Sans, you’re the coolest person I have ever met, and you were my first real friend ever! I couldn’t have ever made it as far as I did without you! So please, wake up! Don’t be sad, and don’t you dare doubt yourself! There’s no one in the world that I would rather do puzzles with, and no one else in the world can make tacos as well as you do!”

 

 _Sans began to stir, and Chara went on bravely, smiling at her friend_ , “You don’t realize how _important_ you are, Sans! You do so much for everyone! You cheer everyone up when they’re sad, and you are the best smash-bros player in the entire world! You were the first person to ever believe in me! And I believe in you too! So rise and shine, lazy bones! It’s time to hit the road!”

 

_As she finished speaking, she saw the soul of Sans flash, and suddenly, she was wrapped in a crushing hug, as he began to bleed back to Reality, whispering, “_ Thank you, Chara!” _before he vanished from the VOID._

_Chara sucked in breath as she saw the shaking, trembling outline of Undyne and she quickly wrapped her arms around the trembling fish monster in a reassuring hug, declaring, “_ Undyne, it’s ok to feel the way you do! It’s ok to be scared, and it’s ok to feel bad! But you need to know that you are loved! Alphys loves you, so, so much, and Sans and Papyrus consider you family, just like I do! If it hadn’t been for you, I’d never have known about things like Anime, or social media, or eating seaweed with ice cream! If it hadn’t been for you, Napstablook would have never achieved his dreams! And if it hadn’t been for you, I would never have been able to get through Hotland and the CORE!”

 

Chara pulled back, as Undyne’s form stopped trembling, smiling with genuine joy and earnest vehemence as she added, ”If you could only see yourself the way we see you, Undyne, you’d know that you’re an awesome, beautiful person! We _love_ you and it doesn’t matter _how_ many mistakes you make, we’ll always be there for you, because you’ve been there for us!”

 

_Undyne sucked in a gasp, as she came to consciousness, looking at Chara in shocked joy and tearful love, her SOUL exiting the VOID too soon for her to speak._

_Chara was surprised to see Wingdings there, and she quickly approached him, feeling a little shy, she pushed forward, as all seven traits resonated inside of her, the strength of Wingding’s kindness and gentle solitude reminding her of all the times that she’d listened to his songs and riddles, his strange language rearraging so she could understand him. They’d never needed many words to speak together, and once she’d turned her efforts around, he’d given her so many helpful hints about how to proceed, and how to befriend monsters like Grillby, how to soften Toriel’s attacks, and the hint about the piano in waterfall…._

“Wingdings, I would have been lost without you…. And I know that Sans and papyrus feel lost without you on the surface. Whatever is keeping you here, it can’t hold you forever, because I know you love your brothers too much to continue to be trapped here! Sans misses you, and Papyrus talks about you so often. They want you to come home, Wings!”

 

 _Wingdings began to stir, as Chara added with tears,_ “I know what it’s like to lose family… so please, go back to them! They need you! More then you realize!”

 

_The tall, thin monster opened his violet eyes, blinking as he faded from the VOID._

 

Chara smiled, relieved, and then surprised when she saw one more flickering light… it was Temmie.

 

Chara ran, quickly, to the soulless doll’s conscious being.

 

“Tem… Oh Temmie. You’re my best friend.” _Chara genuinely couldn’t help the tears, as she wrapped her arms around the doll, sobbing,_ “Temmie, What are you doing here? You don’t belong in the Void… I’m going to bring you back home with me. But you have to let go of your bad thoughts! Just because you don’t have a soul doesn’t mean you don’t have good memories!”

 

_And as Chara began to list the very many good times, and quiet moments they’d had shared over the past four years, Temmie’s ghostly form began to solidify, until her body was there, wrapped in Chara's embrace._

 

“… We’re going to be ok, Temmie!” Chara squeezed tighter as she felt the physical form of her friend, feeling overwhelmingly happy when she heard the doll grunt, “Not so tight, you Idiot!”

 

And Chara woke up with a start, sucking in sweet, real air as she sat up.

 

She still had Temmie in her arms, and the doll looked very confused and agitated, “Wait, where are we?!”

 

“Chara! Oh Chara you’re ok!”

Asgore, Toriel and Asriel all jumped to their feet, as they called the doctor, and there were many tears and smiles, as the former King and Queen of monsters surrounded their human child with love and tender relief at her recovery.

Alphys had just walked back in, and the saurian monster couldn’t even speak, she was so agitated and relieved at the sight of the puny little human sitting up in bed.

 

As the monsters all clamored, asking for reassurance that Chara was ok, confused by Temmie's very sudden appearance, Alphys found her voice, she growled out, “Tem…. Where’s Roxy?!”

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

_Roxy cried out to the VOID, as all her Bad memories assailed her like an overwhelming monsoon, drowning her in all the helplessness she’d ever remembered feeling, and even moments she’d buried, so deeply within, trying to move on, to find some form of peace and happiness._

_Every time she’d felt like a failure, for even the smallest of mistakes, all the times that she’d stood, helpless, as her first stepfather verbally abused her mother; unable to move, speak, unable to act or even think for herself in many ways, too burdened by brainwashing and indoctrinated submission beating back her spirit._

_All she could do was watch, clenching her fists, as her mother wallowed in isolation._

 

_The worst was that she couldn’t help her mother in any way that really mattered; she couldn’t shield her siblings, she couldn’t fight her stepfather, and she couldn’t escape either._

_There was_ nothing she could do  _and_ no one _to listen to her, and so she writhed in indecision and agony._

_Pain arched through her, discounting every effort she’d ever put out with timid hope, until, overwhelmed, she covered her ears and chanted, “_ I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry- _I’m sorry!” Anguish, grief-stricken, unable to even articulate the pain in her soul as she began to scream, her voice going strangely hoarse._

_Echoes of dark thoughts drifted through her agony._

_(W O R T H L E S S… )_

_(U S E L E S S…)_

_(JUST DIE… Maybe then, you can rest)_

_A particularly bad memory engulfed her, bringing her back to her 16-year-old self, huddled next the bed, crying as her wrists bled with surface wounds that she’d scratched there, eager for some relief to the emotional pain, as she’d listened helplessly to her mother being verbally beaten into submission._

“Rossy?”

_Roxy took a shuddering breath, remembering that night so clearly; her wrists ached and guilt bled into her, as her little sister awoke._

_Stacy had always been such a heavy sleeper; it was a miracle that her sister had awoken at all. Quickly, Roxy’d pushed down her sleeves to hide the scratches and dashed away her tears, as Stacy sleepily left her bed and knelt by Roxy._

_The teenager let her little sister hug her, as the then four-year-old girl murmured in her sleepy, childish voice, “_ There, there, don’t cry Rossy… I love you.”

_Warmth pulsated inside of her, at the intensity of the memory, the KINDNESS of her sister’s spirit swelling inside of her._

_Stacy had always been such a sweet, strong person, even that young. And that was the exact moment when Roxy realized that giving into pain wasn’t going to get her through life. That had been the first and last time she’d hurt herself purposefully._

_Another memory, Tristan slinging his arm around her, as they left the noisy contention in the house to sit in the backyard, away from the fighting,_ “Damn him. He doesn’t know anything. We’re **_gonna_ **get past this, Roxy. Someday, we _won’t_ have to listen to them fight. We just have to keep pushing forward!”

 

_Admiration for the “rebellion” (which she now recognized as Bravery) that Tristan displayed inspired her to start breaking through the brainwashing, instilling hope within her soul as she began to question the authority that had anchored itself in her life like a cancer._

_Something began to stir within Roxy, as she remembered ALL the times that someone had come along side her, reminding her that life was good, and that she wasn’t worthless, teaching her to listen to her gut, to ask questions and to think for herself._

_PATIENCE instilled within her by her mother, INTEGRITY granted to her by her grandparents, PERSEVERANCE shown to her by her younger brothers, JUSTICE finally sprouting on its own within her as she faced off with her Stepfather one last time, strong in her convictions and determined in her perspective. Not matter how he tried to gaslight her, she’d stuck with the truth and bore his stamp of “Disobedient, rebellious and sinful” with an uncaring attitude, her value for his opinion forever washed away like so much mud and filth._

_Each of these traits resonated inside of her, filling her and swelling inside until each time a bad memory tried to take hold, she **refused** it, pushing it away with all the good, bright things that she’d come to know, and the confidence that she had begun to build inside._

_A resonating echoed and rippled within her soul, as the numerous, most recent_ good memories _flashed; Kelsey’s kindness and quirky flirting, Cinna’s sweet friendship, Grillby’s healing magic, Asgore’s patience and Temmie’s unspoken longing for a friend._

_Then, she was back with Sans and Papyrus, sitting at their dinner table, eating pizza, admitting that she liked anchovies to them, asking deeply personal questions about their anatomy._

_Papyrus’ punny jokes and Sans’ warm, sincere smiles melted all the fear she had felt, calming her with feelings of_ sincerity _and_ honesty _and_ life _._

_The warmth that had rippled began to magnify in intensity, growing stronger until she was overwhelming, her thoughts flooding her SOUL as she shouted into the void, with loud, resounding joy._

 

“I’M _NOT_ GIVING UP TODAY!”

_The shout echoed and augmented, along with the memories, and they struck the entities that held her down in tandem, like ripples that morphed into waves breaking over a shore, as she continued shouting._

“Trouble May Come And Go, And I Know I’m Only Human, But Damn It, I’m Not Gonna Live My Life In Regret And Sadness!”

 

 _Roxy added, more quietly, but with heat,_ “I have too many people depending on me to let myself drown in my own wretched memories today.”

_One being recoiled dramatically from the positive emotions while the other clung to those memories, reverberating with them, specially entranced with the newer memories of the skeleton brothers._

_The two began to tear apart from each other, one repelled by the positivity from the Soul they held while the other gravitated heavily towards it, good feelings and memories breaking free from the repression the first entity had enforced._

_Clinging to the positivity that resonated inside Roxy’s soul, the second entity was invigorated by the undulating memories, as they suddenly recalled feeling those same feelings, those same emotions… and reaching out to the monsters in the newer memories with sudden longing._

_“ ~~Sans? Papyrus? …Wingdings~~?” The entity gave a husky moan of sorrow, regret and sudden empathy._

_A white glow surrounded the negative entity piggybacking on the one that clung to the good memories and it shrieked as it was forcefully removed from the second entity by an outside force._

_A brilliant flash and, suddenly, Roxy’s SOUL was released from the clutches of the VOID being._

_The last thing she recalled was a strange entity, an abnormal-looking humanoid, like a living muscular system dummy with soft white hair, those same heterochromia eyes, one golden and human, the other, a glowing socket, gazing softly in a strange, new understanding._

8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Waking up had been quite a shock for Sans, Papyrus, Wings and Undyne, as they all fell from the wall, the inky goop writhing in agitation around them.

 

However, it wasn’t sticking to them, like before, ignoring them completely, almost like oil and water

 

“What in the name of the Delta Rune?” Wingdings gasped, as they all saw the human within the grasp of the goop, appearing and disappearing, her soul shining brightly as it flashed in colors, Red, Cyan, Orange, Indigo, Purple and Yellow and Green.

 

“Roxy!” Sans shouted in shock and Papyrus quickly grabbed his brother’s shoulder as he shouted, “Hang on a second, it’s not paying attention to us!”

 

Undyne grabbed her equipment, as she added, in agitation, “Th-this thing feeds off negativity! That’s how it g-grabbed us before!”

 

Wingdings sucked in breath as he quickly growled, “Look! It's separating itself!”

 

Sure enough, there seemed to be two separate beings within the hooded figure; ripping apart and then converging with each other again as Roxy’s soul traits vibrated.

 

There was a very strange, inky black soul-like thing, that was popping free of the goop, as it tried to get as far from Roxy’s SOUL as possible.

 

“UNDYNE, grab a SOUL container, NOW!” Papyrus shouted as he, Sans and Wingdings stretched out their skeletal hands instantaneously, their magic combining seamlessly.

 

They snagged the black soul, and it seemed to screech in a childish wail, but the three Skeletal brothers were driven by their release from the VOID. Sockets leaking and flashing with purple, orange and cyan magic, their wills locked decisively as they worked together to uproot the poisonous Soul, wrenching it away with a combined shout.

Undyne had grabbed the SOUL container she’d brought with her from the TRUE lab, and she acted quickly once the Black SOUL had been ripped away, snapping the glass container over the black, wriggling soul without hesitation. The Soul writhed and shrieked, but Undyne impassively activated the container, murmuring, “Be still, you v-vile thing.”

 

The Black SOUL went instantly still, held in stasis, finally static and at rest. There was an _instant_ change in the atmosphere, as the black soul was quarantined from the rest of the goop.

 

The black ooze vanished instantly from the gray room, leaving only a dark, navy blue hooded figure facing them.

 

It held Roxy’s body gently and dispassionately, gazing with familiar, strange eyes at them. Instead of pure black, her robes swirled with dark blue hues and shifting gradients, giving her a more ambiguous appearance, the foreboding presence gone.

 

Sans quickly leapt forward, trembling, he held out his arms and the robed figure placed the human into his arms, chuckling in a gravelly voice that they could all hear and understand, **_“She's a strange one.”_**

Sans shook at hearing that voice, his bones rattling at he looked into the cowl.

 

A familiar face smiled regretfully back at him, the right eye human and golden while the other eye was a mere, glowing socket, like his own.

 

“Revue Plain?” he whispered. “Sister?”

 

_“I see you grew into that scarf, Sans. It looks good on you.”_

 

The hooded figure smiled gently at him, before she looked beyond him, to the others, as her figure slowly began to fade from view.

 

_“I wish I could stay. There’s so much I want to say to each of you. I’m sorry for the inconvenience. Rest assured, I’ll be a better Void Guardian. Good-bye, my friend… my brothers. Thank you for the good memories. I’ll see you around; here, there, nowhere and everywhere.”_

 

And she shot them a wink with her human eye as she phased from existence. Their surroundings were suddenly shifted, as they phased from that strange room that didn’t exist to the exit of the Underground.

 

Sans blinked back cyan tears as he looked down at the human woman in his arms, so many questions buzzing in his head, as well as relief at her safety.

 

Roxy was breathing shallowly but she was alive. He trembled, holding her closely as he focused his magic, green, healing tendrils swirling into her.

 

“Sans be careful. Don’t drain yourself.” Wings told him sharply.

 

Papyrus felt disgust and curiosity as he watched Undyne study the container for the black soul that dripped negative photons everywhere, breathing a sigh of relief.

 

Where it came from and what exactly it was would have to be found out later. Maybe Roxy would be able to shed some light, since she had encountered it personally.

 

Speaking of, the human looked like Death itself. Undyne came along side Sans as she put the container in her backpack and lent her green magic, after a few moments murmuring, “Sh-she looks stable, Sans. L-let’s get her to a hospital. We don't want to completely drain ourselves of magic.”

Wingdings had knelt to the ground, weeping openly.

 

“Revue…” He shook his head helplessly, “I always knew it was you… whispering from the River.”

 

Papyrus knelt by him, and the skeleton brother grieved, for their half- sister who willingly chose non-existence for their sakes.

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

”You ready bro?” Papyrus asked his oldest brother, as they stood at the exit of the Underground. The others had already walked on ahead, Sans carrying Roxy, Undyne walking alongside him, as she kept an eye on Roxy’s HP.

 

They had agreed to split up, so that Roxy could be taken to a hospital as soon as possible. Undyne was also making a phone call, to make sure that Chara was ok, and to likewise let the Human know that they had made it out alive.

 

After a few minutes, Wingdings simply took a step forward into the breaking dawn, blinking in surprise as he actually stepped onto the surface, instead of ending back up at the RUINS.

 

“…I don’t like it. I want to go back.” Wingdings joked dully, as emotion overwhelmed him. 

 

“Nye-heh, you’ll hurt Sans’ feelings if you don’t at least come and see the house.” Papyrus teased, slapping a hand over his brother's shoulder, as the two began to walk, allowing Wingdings time to look around, his robes trailing behind him.

 

He could finally live with his brothers on the surface. The guilt didn’t overwhelm him the same way it had before. Revue had looked at him with such love and understanding before disappearing, he couldn’t feel the shame engulf him like before.

She had made her choice, and now, he had to accept that, in order to move on.

 

“… Papyrus, I’m so sorry.” Wingdings finally spoke. “I… I don’t think it was Revue, keeping me there. At least, not entirely.”

 

Papyrus looked at him in surprise, “You just said her name clearly. It didn't... slip away like before.”

 

Wingdings smiled, bitterly, “She may be gone, but she’s not forgotten. Not this time.”

 

“So, you were saying?” Papyrus frowned, “What was keeping you there?”

 

Wingdings nodded, looking away as he examined the sky above him.

 

“I think it was… my own guilt and shame, that kept me contained in the underground. I… I always felt that it was my fault that she chose to sacrifice herself.”

 

“Wings, you know, as well as I do, that no one ever blamed you for that. We were blind men, trying to find an answer that didn’t exist.” Papyrus replied with sympathy, adding quietly, “ _Tibia_ honest, I always felt it was _my_ fault. I could have prevented her from making that decision just as much as you.”

 

“… Revue wasn’t one to be easily persuaded, once she made her mind up.” Wingdings reminded his brother quietly. “I just… I wish things could have been different. I wish she was here with us.”

 

Papyrus frowned, his mind working as he wondered, “She said something about… being a Void Guardian… what do you think that means?”

 

“It sounds like another one of her riddles.” Wingdings admitted quietly, suddenly clutching Papyrus’ arm when he caught sight of the city. His sockets widened at the magnitude of it, and the strange, metal carriages that drove on the road. Finally, he turned to Papyrus, seeming hesitant.

 

“… Do humans not use boats?” He asked timidly.

 

Papyrus laughed softly, shaking his head, “Oh, there’s boats. I think the river is just outside the city. They could probably use a ferryman like you.”

 

Wingdings gave a jack-o-lantern smile, reassured, as he followed Papyrus to Ebott city.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, I think that was as good a place as any to end this arc. Whew!
> 
> Thank you so much for the kudos and comments! All of you reading this, you're awesome!
> 
> Also, here is a link to a picture I posted of Revue Plain, AKA, Swap!RiverPerson
> 
> https://rubydracogirl-blog.tumblr.com/post/185499278810/this-came-out-of-me-trying-to-doodle-my


	20. Respite and Repose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which everyone is reunited and reassured.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't wait to get my hands into some fluff for the next chapters. But, the drama and action was very exciting to write. Thanks to everyone who came along for the ride, and a special thank you to TurtleChix, for talking with me during times I got stuck. *finger guns* you're awesome!
> 
> Also, for anyone interested in Revue's past, I mean, bits will be revealed throughout this fic, but I'm starting a series of one-shots, with one published already called "Rummaging" that already reveals quite a bit about her. 
> 
> Ok, enough of my shameless self-promotion, on with the story!

 

“S-sans! Slow d-down! We don’t want to jostle her!” Undyne scolded, as Sans quickened his pace at the sight of the hospital. Undyne had to catch her breath, as she followed after the agitated skeleton, adding, “She’s not going to die, I p-promise! We recovered her HP enough t-to ensure her life.”

 

“I’m sorry ‘Dyne.” Sans spoke sheepishly, but Undyne could plainly see that he was still impatient to get Roxy to a place where she would be taken care of and healed.

“Have You Gotten A Hold Of Asgore, Or Alphys Yet?”

 

“I’m t-trying! Alphys’ phone is dead and Asgore’s still not very good with technology.” She muttered in frustration. "Also, my battery is close to death."

 

"Use My Phone!" Sans readily commanded, turning his back pocket to Undyne without hesitation. Undyne puffed her cheeks slightly as she grabbed the phone without thinking too much about it, hissing a sigh of relief when she saw how full of battery the skele's phone was.

 

The sun had already risen in the sky, breaking on a beautiful Sunday morning. Sans could have scowled at the sight of the sun for once.

_You’d Never Know That There Had Been Such Terror In The Night From The Way The Sun Is Shining._

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Inside Chara's hospital room, things had escalated very quickly, with Alphys standing to her feet, bristling and Temmie's hackles raised, her mouth opened in a distorted snarl, as they glared at each other.

“WHAT DID YOU DO, YOU SPOILED PIECE OF COTTON?!” The Saurian snarled, her eye flashing.

 

“I DIDN’T DO _SHIT_ , YOU CUNT OF A GECKO!”

 

“Stop shouting! There’s no reason to fight!” Chara pleaded, holding onto Temmie very tightly as the doll strained, growling at Alphys, who snarled back. Asriel had been sleeping in one of the chairs and now startled awake with a soft bleat.

 

Toriel was about to raise her voice when Asgore’s phone rang out, interrupting the fight, and the giant Boss Monster raised his voice, father-like authority silencing the room instantly as he roared, “E _NOUGH_!”

 

Alphys and Temmie snapped their jaws shut, stunned by the normally gentle Boss monster’s command as Asgore fumbled for his phone, struggling with it before he was able to answer.

 

A few moments later, he looked up, his eyes stern and his face composed.

 

“It’s Undyne,” he declared quietly, before standing to his feet, he looked to Toriel, “There will be no more fighting here. Sans and Undyne are on their way, with Roxy, and all three of them are in need of medical attention."

“W-wait! C-can I go with you?” Temmie stuttered, blushing grey as everyone looked at the doll in shock.

 

Asgore paused in surprise before his face broke into a kindly, fatherly smile.

 

“Not yet, Temmie. I’ll come back and bring you for a visit as soon as I ensure Roxy’s health.” Temmie pouted but nodded as Asgore bent to kiss Chara’s forehead, quietly murmuring, “I’m so glad you’re safe, my child,” leaving the room quickly to and check on his three friends himself.

 

Alphys snorted as she stepped out of the room, and Temmie curled on Chara’s lap, muttering, “I hope that stupid idiot didn’t get herself killed. I'll never forgive her if she did.”

With the room once again quiet, Asriel going back to sleep and Toriel breathed a sigh of relief as she placed a hand over Chara’s forehead.

 

“My child… are you sure you’re ok?” Toriel murmured, her stern mauve gaze going soft as she looked at Chara.

 

Chara smiled softly and nodded earnestly, her heart warm and simply too full for words.

 

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Asgore was relieved when he found that Sans and Undyne were both uninjured, merely tired and depleted of energy, which was quickly remedied by an NTT brand energy bar. 

 

While Sans waited outside the hostital room during Roxy's check up, Undyne left, as quickly as possible, to see Chara. She paused in surprise, as she turned the corner and saw Alphys, waiting outside the room in the hallway. They both startled at the sight of each other; blushing, awkward and hesitant, before Undyne raced to her beloved saurian, wrapping her thin, lanky arms around her girlfriend as tears pricked her yellow and red eyes.

 

“Al! I-I’m so s-sorry!” Undyne hiccupped, as she gripped a surprise Alphys in a fierce embrace, “I’m so sorry that I haven’t given you the support you need! I Love you so much, and I swear, I’ll do better!”

 

“Oh sh-shut up, Undyne, I d-don’t even know what you’re apologizing for!!" Alphys stammered, sweeping Undyne off her feet, she cradled her beloved mermaid monster, brushing the tears away from her girlfriend's face, she added in a softer tone, “I love you, more than anything, and certainly more then my stupid job at the police department! I just want to make you happy, and it kills me that I've been failing at that.”

 

“Y-you haven't f-failed! Al, you already make me so happy, just by being with me! So long as I’m with you, I can bear anything!” Undyne giggled, even as she sobbed into Alphys’ jacket, the tears bringing a soft relief to the build-up of pain and stress that had been eating away at her.

 

Alphys nuzzled the top of Undyne’s head with her armored snout, stroking her back as she murmured tenderly, “We’ll sit down and talk. I think that’s what we’ve been avoiding, and it’s certainly what we need to do. Undyne, cause after you visit Chara, I’m taking you home for a _serious_ anime marathon... and maybe some _hardcore_ snuggling.”

 

Undyne blushed bright red at the tactfully suggestive wink that Alphys gave her, allowing Alphys to smooch her passionately. Alphys grinned goofily, as she put Undyne back on her feet and the two went into Chara's hospital room.

 

Undyne smiled softly at Chara, who was sitting up, grinning far more brightly than she had in the past year.

 

“How are you Chara?” The fish monster asked softly.

 

“I’m better.” Chara admitted, looking a little confused, she asked, “How about Roxy? What happened?”

 

Undyne shifted uncomfortably, as Alphys and Toriel and Asriel all turned to her, the same question in their faces.

 

“It’s… very c-complicated, and uh, not entirely w-without some details t-that I’m sure I missed.” Undyne stuttered, but Alphys gently took her hand and gripped it reassuringly, “We could use your side of the story, babe. Chara didn’t have much to tell us when she woke up. Temmie didn't have a lot to say either. Just go slow.”

 

Undyne nodded, frowning as she looked at Toriel and Chara.

 

“S-so, uh, what… what do you remember about t-the first royal scientist, Toriel?”

 

Toriel's brows rose in surprise, scrunching back down as she tried to remember. there was something there, back in the recesses of her mind, something slippery and tangible, like a clouded window that she just couldn't wipe clean.

 

"I'm... I'm not sure."

 

Undyne nodded with understanding, biting her lip as she forced back her anxious feeling of nausea. 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Sans continued to fidget in the waiting room, his Hp mostly restored. Asgore had recommended that he go home and rest, but Sans just couldn't. The impulse to stay and make sure that Roxy really was ok overwhelmed what he knew to be common sense.

 

Besides, there were so many emotions running through his SOUL, it was hard to get a grip on what to focus on. If he tried to sleep, he knew he wouldn't be able to, the thoughts would just continue to buzz inside of him.

 

He huffed a breath as he softly untied his blue bandanna from his neck and held it in his hands. Gazing at the worn blue material, he took deep breaths, forcing himself to focus as he gripped the soft material in his phalanges.

The first thought that he snagged made his SOUL ache just slightly, both bitter and relieving at once, the sanity he once questioned now confirmed.

_Revue's really been alive, all along... just like I thought._

It had been such a shock, when he had first jumped through the void, to take a “Shortcut” as Papyrus called it, and he saw her, half-formed, melted, and pleading. From then on, he refused to take shortcuts, under the guise that they were “Lazy”. The fact that Papyrus and Wingdings didn't see her when they took shortcuts, or manipulated their surroundings using the VOID had forced him to call his own reasoning into question... just one more reason to sneak off to Muffet's.

But she was alive... and she had truly seemed at peace, in spite of the gravity of her existence, bringing a strange closure that Sans was grateful for.

The next thought that snagged in his mind was in the limp form of Roxy. She'd been encased in the goop, as it struggled to snuff out the light of her SOUL, unsuccessful. He'd be lying if he'd said that her safety hadn't been an extra drive to aid the magic of Papyrus and Wingdings, tangling their hold together on that black entity of a SOUL and wrenching it out like a poisonous thorn.

And… how in the world did Roxy end up in the Underground? Just what had she done to get within the clutches of the Void Amalgamate?

 

Sans groaned as he held his skull in his hands, bent over as he took deep breath, the next thought tumbling like a pile of boulders, crashing down on a mountainside. The second that goop had encased him, he'd been lost, without a trace, embroiled within his worst memories.

 

If it hadn’t been for Chara, calling out to him, reminding him of how lovely life was, of all his family and friends… reminding him of how important he was to his own family… He doubted he'd have been able to get out his own bad memories on his own. 

 

And then, to see Roxy’s SOUL, pulsating and quivering with her strong human traits, resisting the darkness and shining like a beacon, driving back the dark…

 Sans didn't know how Roxy got there, nor did he understand the nuances of the battle that had gone down, between her and the Void Amalgamation (he refused to think of the thing as his sister, after all, once they had removed the dark soul, it seemed that Revue had regained herself) But he was sure that if it hadn't been for Roxy... Revue would still be tangled with that... thing...whatever it was that Undyne now carried in her backpack.

 

Having processed these thoughts, Sans sat back, the bandanna twisted in his grasp. He just wanted to make sure that… that she was really ok…

 

Doubts began to creep on him, as his grip on his bandanna tightened.

 

Was he being too pushy, or too forward? What if she was scared of him, after being held in the clutches of the void? What if… what if being in the underground had left her wanting nothing to do with ~~him~~ monsterkind?

 

The skeleton trembled, his bones vibrating softly in anxiety, unsure if he could bear to lose her friendship, just when they had started getting to know each other, but then he thought back to their interactions, and how Roxy had _stuck by Temmie_.

 

Temmie, who had chased off every caretaker and nanny within a 25 mile radius, was still under Roxy’s willing care. No, the human was obviously stronger than that… and besides… he felt that she couldn’t be _unaware_ of their connection… right?

 

The bandanna in his grasp crinkled with his thoughts back to that moment in his backyard, under the full moon, when he had looked into her eyes, before Alphys had run out with the news of Chara. Roxy had gazed back into his own eyes, gentle and unafraid of him, her body framed by silvery light as she teased him about star-wishes.

 

Sans felt himself blush slightly, as his SOUL pulsed with some of the more carnal aspects of that memory.

Would there ever be another moment like that? He found himself hoping that there would be.

 

“Sans? Are you alright, my lad?” 

 

Sans looked up to see Toriel, who silently joined him in the waiting room.

 

“Undyne told us what all of you went through… she also told us that Wingdings is freed. I am glad and relieved to hear it.”

 

Sans nodded softly, as Toriel continued, slightly bewildered, “It sounds like, whatever you faced, Roxy was a key part. Temmie told us that she had tried to warp to the Underground and accidentally took Roxy with her. That’s how she was there in the first place. And according to Undyne, it was because of Roxy that you were able to… eliminate the threat.”

 

Sans took in a breath as he muttered, “I Can’t Believe How Close She Was To Dying… Roxy Only Had One HP Left, Tori. ONE. All It Would Have Taken Was One Hit… One Wrong Move With Ill Intent.”

 

Toriel gave a sigh, before gently admonishing, “Let us not dwell on what might have happened, and instead, be thankful that everything ended as well as it did. We are all here, and all is well, my lad.”

 

Sans looked up at Toriel, who was looking towards the room with fierce hope.

 

He smirked softly, bowing his head, as he realized she was right.

“Thank You, Toriel.”

 

“Anytime, my lad.” Toriel replied kindly, adding softly, “I will leave you now… but Chara said that she was worried about you. So, I just wanted to check on you.”

 

“I’m Perfectly Fine Now.” Sans replied, trying to not cringe. He wasn't going to dwell on the fact that Toriel was one of those who tended to treat him more like a child then most, able to excuse it since she treated almost everyone in that motherly manner she was known for.

 

Before Toriel stood up to leave, however, Asgore exited the room, looking exhausted.

 

“Gory-I mean, Asgore, how is the human woman?” Toriel jumped, trying to hide her embarrassment at her slip of the tongue.

 

“She’s fine. Her HP has been restored. Now, she just needs rest and some food when she wakes up. After that, she’ll be able to go home. I'll speak with the staff, to have them discharge her when she wakes.”

 

Toriel smiled with relief, “Chara has been officially discharged as well. I can take the both of you home, if you wish.”

 

“That… would be lovely, actually.” Asgore replied haggardly. 

 

“Sans, do you require a ride home as well?” Toriel inquired, but Sans shook his head, “No, I’m Fine. But Thank You!”

 

The two boss monsters left, and Sans shifted, getting comfortable. He intended to be here when Roxy woke up.

 

A brief thought to let her brother know where she was came to him and he jumped to his feet. Of course! Someone had to let her family know where she was!

 

He paused before remembering that Roxy’s phone was in her overnight bag. He shifted uncertainly before deciding to call Alphys. The Saurian could probably get a hold of Roxy’s phone, and then call Roxy’s brother. That would probably be more appropriate then him digging around the human woman's overnight bag.

 Settling back into his seat, Sans took out his phone and called Papyrus to let him know that he was going to be at the hospital for a while.

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Vague noises. Scratchy sheets and a rather uncomfortable surface made themselves known, as Roxy slowly wandered to consciousness. With great reluctance, she opened her eyes and saw the white ceiling that wasn’t hers, and smelled the strange air that reminded her of too many people, too much cleaners.

 

“… Is this a hospital?” her voice felt a little scratchy, probably from screaming-

 

She bolted upright, ignoring the fatigue in her body as she gasped, “TEM!? Where are you?!”

 

“Easy, Weenis Breath, I’m here.”

 

Roxy could have melted in relief, as she turned her head to see the grumpy doll, sitting in Chara’s lap. To Roxy's surprise, Sans was sitting next to them, nodding off and snoring gently.

 

“… uh, what century is this?” Roxy joked and Chara laughed quietly,” It’s only been 7 hours I think, since you were admitted. Sans literally _just_ fell asleep. Temmie and I have been here for about twenty minutes. Temmie was insisting that we come and check on you-”

 

"That's not true!" Temmie snapped, "I said that SOMEONE had to check on Roxy AND Sans cause they're both idiots! Geez Chara."

 

 Roxy’s eyes welled with tears of relief, "I’m so glad the both of you are ok!”

 

“Us too, Roxy. Us too.” Chara replied, with just a little emotion, she added, her red eyes gleaming, “I heard you.”

 

Roxy tilted her head.

 

“Huh?”

 

“You called for help. I couldn’t come to help you… but I heard you cry out. In fact… you helped _me_ , by calling out. You reminded me… of some pretty important things. So thank you, for sticking to your principles and not giving up.”

 

Roxy glanced over to Temmie, who was resolutely looking away.

 

“The Void?” She asked softly, “Is… is that the only explanation I’m gonna get?”

 

“Probably.” Chara nodded, “From what they said, uh, Undyne and Sans, that is,… you distracted the thing that had attached itself to me and the others. I think Papyrus said… something like “She made it easy, which is great, cause I love not working harder than I have to'. ”

 

Roxy barked a laugh at that and Sans startled awake.

 

“Roxy! You’re Awake!” He jumped to his feet and asked in a rush, “Thank The Stars! How Are You Feeling?”

 

“Much better, now that I know everyone’s ok… everyone is ok, right?” Roxy backtracked curiously.

 

Sans grinned, “Yeah! We’re All Fine! And Wingdings Was Able To Leave The Underground! You’ll Get To Have An Official Introduction Soon!”

 

Temmie grumped, “Yeah, yeah, ain’t we all lucky Vanilla didn’t get herself killed.”

 

Roxy only smiled gently at Temmie, admitting, “I’m really glad you’re ok, Temmie.”

 

Temmie blushed gray as she snapped, “This-This doesn’t change anything, Vanilla!”

 

Roxy giggled, “Of course not. So… Can I leave? Are there any nurses that are going to stop me?”

 

“Nope. Dad already handled everything.” Chara replied as she stood to her feet, letting Temmie climb onto her shoulders.

 

Sans held out a hand and Roxy accepted it with a blush, murmuring, “Thanks.”

 

They walked out of the hospital, Asgore and Asriel waiting for them.

 

“Roxy!” Asgore smiled, looking slightly haggard.

 

“Hello Asgore. I guess we’ve all had a rather hard night.” Roxy laughed softly. "Hello again Asriel!"

 

"Hello, Dude-lady!" Asriel chirped happily, "I'm glad you're all better."

 

"Me too kiddo." Roxy giggled softly.

 

“Indeed. We would like to drive you home.” Asgore offered.

 

Roxy nodded eagerly, “That would be awesome…” she looked over at Sans with a chuckle, “I guess we’ll have to finish that Sleepover another night!”

 

“Indeed.” Sans laughed back, blushing slightly, as all his fears about losing Roxy's friendship vanished like a puff of smoke.

 

As they climbed into Asgore’s car, Roxy suddenly smacked herself on the forehead, letting out a huge groan.

 

“I FORGOT TO DO MY HOMEWORK YESTERDAY! Man, I am so screwed!” She groaned.

 

“Hmm, allow me to call your professors, to let them know that you were in the hospital. Perhaps they will give you an extension.” Asgore offered with compassion.

 

Roxy’s jaw dropped.

“You’d do that?”

 

“Of course! Life happens… and unfortunately, what happened this weekend… while I’m grateful that you were there, it would never have happened if you had sought employment elsewhere. It is the least I can do.” Asgore replied kindly.

 

Roxy smiled, “Well, you know what, I’m not gonna say no.”

 

As they arrived at Roxy’s house, she climbed out, frowning, “Does… does Tristan know I was in the hospital?”

 

“Oh, Alphys Tried To Reach Your Brother, But no one answered so she left a message, saying that you were going to be released from the hospital when you woke up, so he shouldn’t be too worried.” Sans explained quickly.

 

Roxy gave a worried huff, “Thanks, Sans. Asgore, Chara and Temmie, I’ll see you guys tomorrow! Thanks for everything, guys!"

 

“Good day, Roxy!”

 

Roxy waved quietly as they drove off, turning to face her home, she slumped.

 

The house was probably a wreck…

 

To her surprise, when she walked in, the place was… well, it wasn’t spotless, but it was _much_ cleaner then it had been the past week.

 

Tristan wasn’t home, and her mom had left behind a note.

 

Apprehensively, Roxy picked up the letter.

 

A relieved smile stretched over her mouth as tears pricked her eyes.

 

“ _Roxy, I’m sorry for the way I spoke to you yesterday. You were right, I should have asked you, before letting Tristan move in. He’s been very difficult lately, but I’ve had a talk with him, and he’s agreed to look for work, as well as register for the Spring semester, so you won’t be attending college alone. If it is ok, I think it would be best for him to continue living with you. However, if you have any major objections, I would be willing to talk with you. I love you, very much, Roxy. Please be safe._

_Love,_

_Mom”_

Roxy sucked in breath as she straightened her posture, feeling resolved and at peace as she set her eyes on her backpack-

 

Wait.

 

“OH HELL, I LEFT IT AT SANS’ HOUSE!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks everyone for reading, hope you have a fantastic weekend!


	21. Get Those Bones Shaking!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Roxy finally goes jogging with Sans. What an idiot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have some fluff? Also, I'm sorry this is late, but the fluff is in progress, no worries.

Another week rolled by, followed by another. The weather was starting to turn brisker, the wind more active and as such, it became harder for certain people to muster the will power to get outside and run…

 

Specifically Roxy. She _hated_ running in the cold. Running in general was already a difficult activity to get motivated to do at times, but when it got cold?

_Shudder_

 

The air burned her lungs, her legs would prickle uncomfortably with goose bumps and overall, she just felt like she was moving through molasses. Not to mention the sweat. So much sweat.

 

Sweating + cold = _wet_ and cold.

 

No thanks.

 

So, in the days that followed the incident Underground, Roxy was quite happy to procrastinate in her exercise, as the air started growing sharper. She’d had so much homework to catch up on anyways, in addition to Temmie somehow becoming even _more_ difficult.

No, these past weeks had been extremely tiring.

 

So, when her jeans began to fit just a tad too tight, Roxy groaned, sucking in her stomach with melancholy determination.

“I can’t put it off anymore. I have to go running.”

 

However, that evening, as she laced up her shoes, dressed in her sweatpants and a long-sleeved shirt and hoodie, she paused in sudden anxiety, her near mugging flashing through her head.

 

…

 

“I wonder what Sans is up to?” she giggled nervously to herself.

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

( _Meanwhile, down the street_ )

 

“I WIN AGAIN!” Sans crowed, jumping to his feet in victory.

 

He, Papyrus and Wingdings were playing smash bros, and Wingdings groaned in frustration as Papyrus chuckled, pointing out blandly,” I told’ja ‘Dings. Sans is a pro.”

 

“But I’ve been practicing! How is this possible?” Wingdings protested, his eyelights flashing lavender, “Again, Sans!”

 

Sans shrugged with a playful snicker, teasing, “Only If You Wish. I Could Definitely Use Some More Practice!”

 

“Why you smug little-!”

 

At this moment, Sans’ phone vibrated, and the shorter skele blinked in surprise, taking his phone as Roxy’s caller id flashed across the screen.

 

Wingdings and Papyrus both exchanged looks as Sans laughed nervously, “Oh, Uh, How About You Two Go A Round Without Me? I’ll Be Back!”

 

Sans scrambled to his feet as he left the room, answering the phone with a happy, “Hello, Roxy! How Are You?”

 

Wingdings chuckled lowly.

 

“I see he’s moved on.”

 

“Yup.” Papyrus replied, selecting a new character and allowing Wingdings to do the same as they settled into the couch, Wingdings hummed thoughtfully.

 

Since he’d moved back into the old house with his brothers, no longer overwhelmed by guilt, a strange peace had settled over the household. Oh, they argued plenty, as brothers do, with Wingdings acting as a mediator, and sometimes, being a loud, overwhelming voice to silence the pettier arguments. Occasionally, there was roughhousing, with bones haphazardly thrown across the room.

 

All of this was chaos that had been sorely missed. Not to mention that Wingdings had actually forgone working at Ebott River to work with Undyne in the lab again, applying for a job as an engineer in the magic division. Papyrus suspected that this was because Onion-san was already working as a ferry-person, and Wingdings didn’t see a need to create competition with the cute kraken monster.

 

As the first two weeks had gone by, Wingdings had noticed that Sans seemed… rather flustered any time Roxy was being spoken of, or in the vicinity. If he was staring at his phone with hearts and stars in his pupils, it was an undeniable fact that he was texting with Roxy.

 

“I… am admittedly quite pleased that he’s so happy. Although… I will admit, in spite of Roxy’s involvement with… what happened underground, I’m nervous for him.” Wing muttered, distracted from the screen as he scratched his chin thoughtfully. He scowled, as Papyrus chose Princess Peach and gave a dark frown at his youngest brother.

 

“Fuck’s sake, Papyrus, why did you choose that… that pink thing?”

 

Papyrus chuckled and winked at his oldest brother, “Unfortunately for us both, I know about your secret reading stash, Wings.”

 

A dark purple blush struck Wings and he groaned, “Damnit, Papyrus, that’s _cheating_!”

 

Papyrus just cackled evilly, as they fought. Wings was definitely struggling, and Papyrus smirked as the match ended in his favor.

 

“… You’re worse then Sans.” Wingdings grumbled, tossing the controller as he stood and stretched.

 

The youngest Gaster smirked, “Hey, I’m not judging, bro, you do what you gotta do-“

 

“Oh my god, Papyrus, _please_ stop.”

 

“But don’t expect me to play fair, I suck at this game and I gotta use every strategic advantage I can think of.”

 

Wings frowned as he turned to look at Papyrus.

 

“How’d you find out about-“

 

“Undyne. She might have let slip that you asked her for… certain reading material.” Papyrus gave Wings finger guns.

 

The tallest skelly just raised a brow bone and his jack-o-lantern smile stretched in an embarrassed grimace.

 

“Remind me to never entrust Undyne with a secret ever again.”

 

Papyrus just cackled.

 

At this moment, Sans came racing from downstairs, dressed in gym shorts and a T-shirt, quickly slipping his gym shoes on his feet.

 

“I’ll Be Back In Half An Hour Or So. Roxy Asked Me To Accompany Her Jogging. She’s Still Nervous About Getting Mugged Again,” Sans quickly explained, “I Gotta Go, Bye!”

 

The blue-eyed skelly quickly raced for the door without waiting for a reply and Wings and Papyrus exchanged a glance as the slam of the door rocked some of the pictures hanging up on the walls.

 

“… She at least seems to be much better tempered than the last one, does she not?” Wingdings commented, “I’d be worried, but it’s obvious that… she’s very different from the other one.”

 

“Naw, I agree.” Papyrus nodded, adding with a reluctant frown, “I wasn’t too keen on Sans’… gravitation towards her at first… But I saw her show some real, heh, _backbone,_ a few weeks ago _._ Plus, the fact that it’s her third week working with Temmie, AND what she went through in the Underground… no, I think she’ll be good for Sans.”

 

Papyrus added with a chuckle, “And you KNOW Sans will be good for her.”

 

Wingdings nodded thoughtfully as they put away the game. The taller skeleton blew out his breath, reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a cigarette.

 

“Wanna step outside?”

 

“...Yeah, sure.” Wingdings grumbled.

Just _great_.

Papyrus knew he had a thing for fictional frilly princesses.

Excellent.

_Welcome to my personal hell._

8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

_…This may have been a mistake…_

Roxy was out of breath, hands on her knees as she fought the urge to bend over double, walking around distractedly as she tried to measure her breathing.

_Yup, definitely a mistake._

Oh, sure, the run had been _fine_ at first, but Sans had set a brutal pace, moving quick and taking large steps. When Roxy went out to run, she usually set a much slower pace that she felt confident she could work to maintain.

 

Now, only fifteen minutes later, she was dying, and it was all because of that hot, hyper-energetic skeleton, who was anxiously fidgeting next to her, worried, “Are You Ok?”

 

“I will be, hah-hah… hah.” Roxy panted, laughing between breathes, “Man, you’re tough to keep up with!”

 

“Er, Here, Have Some Water!” Sans handed her his water bottle, "I'm Sorry, I Didn't Realize You Were Having Trouble."

 

Roxy took the bottle gratefully and quickly sipped some of the cool liquid. She laughed a little, “ I'm good at faking it... sometimes." She winced after those words left her mouth, quickly adding, "I hope I didn’t hold you back.”

 

“Oh No, Not At All! Well, I mean, I Wasn’t Going All Out, B-But! That’s Because I Wanted You To Set The Pace! After All, You Invited Me To Run!”

 

“… You were… Oh.” Roxy gave a weak smile. She thought he’d been setting the pace… never mind, this was her own doing after all.

 

“Well… I have heard that it’s actually good to workout with someone who will challenge you. That’s how we get better, right?” Roxy grinned, although her expression looked more like a grotesque mask of pain.

 

Sans chuckled a little, “I Used To Struggle To Keep Up With Alphys, So, I Think Your Statement Is Quite True! She Certainly Pushed My Limits Many Times.”

 

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m gonna be sore tomorrow, but… I think I wanna do this again with you, if that’s ok?” Roxy blushed a little.

 

“YEAH! … Uh, I Mean, O-Of Course! I’d Love To Do This Again!” Sans chuckled. He set his sights back down the street where they’d run from, “Are You Ready To Go Home?”

 

“Y-yes… Well, no, but ok.” Roxy grinned in pain as she stood back up, straightening her spine, she gritted her teeth, “Let’s do th-“

 

“Ma’am, is this monster bothering you?”

 

They both blinked in surprise, turning to see a human man standing behind them, who glared at Sans suspiciously. The Skeleton tilted his head, confused by the hostile question and look.

 

“What? No! Not at all! He’s my jogging partner!” Roxy replied, confused and annoyed.

 

The human blinked in surprise and an obvious measure of disgust.

“He’s your jogging partner? Isn’t that a bit unfair to you? He doesn’t have lungs! Or muscles!”

 

Roxy raised a brow, now thoroughly annoyed as she replied testily, “That is actually none of your business, _dude. Now_ , if you’ll excuse us, we’ve got a workout to finish!”

 

And with that, Roxy grabbed Sans’ hand firmly and led him back into their jog, her face set stonily, “C’mon, Sans, we've got ground to cover!”

 

Sans cast a backward glance at the stranger who had accosted them, who seemed both insulted a little dumbfounded that he’d been written off so flippantly.

 

Sans gave a chuckle and a dismissive wave as he followed after Roxy, who seemed to be determined to run as hard as she could, all the way back. Once they were within sight of her house, she slowed down, breathing hard, her face completely red.

 

“You Ok?” Sans asked gently, as they slowed to a fast walk, to cool down.

 

“No.” Roxy huffed, “That guy had no business implying that you were bothering me! You weren’t even _doing_ anything! You were just talking to me! And-“

 

“Hey, It’s Ok.” Sans told her gently, with a chuckle,” It Happens. I’ve Gotten Used To It. I’m Well Aware That Not Everyone Is As Respectful And Kind As You Are, Roxy.”

 

Roxy opened her mouth before shutting it, her eyes widening as she looked up at his cheerful and gentle smile.

 

Sans gave her a thumbs up, his sockets crinkling as he added, “You Did So Great Coming Back! I Think You Just Needed That First Round To Warm Up! Next Time, We’ll Warm Up Quickly Before We Go Out, That Way You Can Maximize Your Physical Output!... And He Was Right About My Not Having Muscles, Which Means That It Would Be Best If I Remember To Stretch With You First. I Don’t Want You To Get Any Injuries Just Because I Don’t Need To Stretch-”

 

Sans paused in surprise, as Roxy suddenly hugged him, uncaring that they were both sweaty and gross, as she laughed in gratitude.

 

“Thank you, Sans! No one _ever_ wants to run with me, and it gets freaking boring on my own… I'm in luck!” Roxy added with a happy laugh, genuinely pleased as bubbles swelled joyfully in her stomach.

 

She hadn’t really been _sure,_ when she first asked, that Sans would want to run with her, especially since he was so much more fit than she was… but this had not only been challenging, which she knew was something that she was missing out on, but it had been _fun_.

 

“Same time tomorrow?” Roxy asked hopefully, letting Sans go, slightly embarrassed that she’d hugged him without asking again.

 

Sans laughed, “Absolutely!”

He checked his watch and winced, “Crap, I Gotta Go. Early Day Tomorrow.”

 

“Oh, right, you take Chara to Grillby’s on Friday. Which is really sweet of you, by the way. I know that’s something Chara really looks forward to.” Roxy chuckled, her eyes shining, and her face glowing and pink as she giggled, “ I hope you have a good night, Sans, and thanks again for running with me. See you tomorrow!”

 

“See, you, Roxy!” Sans grinned back, as he watched her go, making sure she was safely inside before laughing to himself giddily, marching animatedly back to his house.

 

His grin was a mile wide, and his SOUL was pulsing wildly. The way Roxy had stood up for him, grabbing his hand and running from that… well, that rather unpleasant human, her efforts to keep up with him, and the fact that she _wanted to go running with him again…_

 

_Cool It, Comic, It’s Only The First Time. She Could Easily Change Her Mind Tomorrow._

Much to Sans' surprise, however, the very next day, Roxy texted him, asking if he still wanted to run with her. As soon as she got home, she called him and Sans quickly changed into some clean jogging clothes, meeting her at her house.

 

Roxy huffed through the workout with difficulty, hanging on by a thread as she fought against her sore muscles. They ended the workout with a stop at Grillby’s, grabbing a cold drink, which seemed to erase her aches and pains.

 

"Man, I'm so out of shape. Ugh." Roxy grumbled, "Thanks for coming with me, Sans, it's hard for me to get motivated on my own."

 

"Oh, Don't Mention It!" Sans chuckled softly.

 

"So, uh, how has work been?" Roxy asked, as an awkward moment of silence passed.

 

"It's Been Good... Great Actually." Sans looked into his drink, as he thought about his day at work, and he cleared his throat softly, looking back over to her, “Roxy… I've Been Wanting To Tell You, That, Uh, You Were Right, That Time That You Told Me That Some Of My Weekly Students Were Probably Just Shy. I’ve Spoken To Them, And, They Don’t Give Off The Impression That They Dislike Me. I Was Misinterpreting Them The Whole Time.”

 

Roxy’s face split into a grin, “I knew it! It’s impossible to imagine _anyone_ disliking you, Sans, you’re so nice and kind and fun to be with!”

 

Sans turned blue, astounded by her declaration as she added, with a blush of her own, “I really like hanging out with you. A lot… I… heh. I like _you_ a lot.”

 

…

 

 _Oh god, did I just say that?_ Roxy swallowed as she glanced over at Sans, who was staring at her, his expression befuddled and  gentle as he replied softly, “I Like You Too.”

 

There was a tension that swelled as Roxy swallowed hard, her eyes wide. She wildly took another sip from her drink, unable to imagine that he understood what exactly she meant.

 

Sans, on the other hand, was looking at her out of the corner of his socket, admiring her red face, the way she looked down when she was nervous. Stars, she was so pretty… could it be that she liked him the _same_ way he liked her? Could she really feel the same way?

 

_Of Course, Not, You Idiot. She’s A Human! Just Because She Enjoys Your Company Doesn’t Mean She Sees You As Someone She Would Want To… To Date… And Love..._

“… Well, It’s Getting Late. I’d Better Get You Back Home.” Sans shoved his thoughts and questions aside as he stood to his feet.

 

Roxy nodded, and they quickly returned their now empty cups to Grillby before heading out for the night.

 

When Roxy hugged Sans good bye, she could swear that he had brushed her hair back tenderly.

 

But she was too scared that she was reading into things and with a groan, she made a decision.

 

It was time to get some experts together, because right now, she was struggling with how her feelings were developing… Her crush wasn't going away, in fact, it was escalating. Sans was on her mind constantly, she was always looking forward to seeing him, and... it seemed he felt the same way. 

Roxy groaned as she showered, her heart thumping like a hammer on an anvil.

She really, really liked him. And if there was even the _slightest chance_ that he liked her back… she yearned to know.

...

Screw it, she needed help

 

After her shower, Roxy picked up her phone, scrolled through her contacts and made a few calls.

 

A few minutes later, she hung up her phone and hollered through the house, “HEY! TRISTAN!”

 

“WHAT?!” her brother shouted back from his room.

 

“I’M HAVING A SLEEPOVER TOMORROW, OK?!”

 

“OK!... WAIT WHAT!?”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Also... I couldn't resist throwing in the idea of Wingdings having what *he* thought was a low-key crush on Princess Peach. XD


	22. Self-Care/Loathing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Long chapter.  
> Alphys scolds Sans. Chara scolds Temmie. Toriel and Asgore take a step towards forgiveness. Chara and Asriel seek experience from Roxy.
> 
> And... both Roxy and Sans become overwhelmed with lust.
> 
> Also, Cinna reveals some information about Monster stuff.
> 
> Whoo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, HUGE warning! There is a MASTURBATION SCENE. INVOLVING ECTO BODY PARTS (AKA ECTO PENIS).
> 
> If you don't enjoy such things as that, then, uh, I'll mark it clearly, with line breaks, so you can skip it. 
> 
> Also... tags have changed ever so slightly. *sweats*

 

“Sans are you freaking kidding me?! That was _your_ moment!” Alphys’ voice roared through the phone, causing Sans to wince.

 

“Alphys, You Don’t Understand… I _Don’t_ Want To Ruin My Friendship With Her, If She Doesn’t Feel The Same Way! I’d… I’d Lose Her Forever! And I’d Rather K _eep_  Her As A Friend Than Lose Her Forever!” Sans groaned into the phone, a hand to his forehead. He’d just finished his 8 a.m. Saturday Class and was on a quick break. All morning, he’d struggled with his focus, his mind wandering.

 

_I like you a lot._

 

Roxy’s sweet, bubbly voice echoed in his head countlessly and he blushed blue, unable to let it go.

“Sans, she _literall_ y said it.” Alphys growled back and Sans snapped, “Alphys, Just Because She Said She Likes Me Doesn’t Mean That-“

 

“OH MY GOD HOW BLIND ARE YOU?!!” Alphys roared.

 

“Alphys, C’mon, You Took Forever To Confess To Undyne! And Besides That… you don’t know what it’s like… to _think_ that someone likes you… and then to find out that… they _lied_ to you…” Sans’ font dropped, his eyelights dulling to white.

 

Alphys nearly crushed her phone in frustration. She’d been keeping an eye on Roxy, whenever she had the time, and had even taken to sending Quickchats with her.

 

It was painfully obvious the human liked Sans. She blushed and got sweaty, her scent definitely changed, not straight up arousal, thank god, but a definite scent of attraction, and _besides_ that, Alphys had _definitely_ caught Roxy surreptitiously checking out Sans’ ass more then once.

 

“Sans… Look, I can’t force you into doing anything you’re uncomfortable with. And you know… there’s nothing _wrong_ with taking it slow. Take as much time as you want… but remember, she’s waiting too. I say this BECAUSE I waited so long to talk to Undyne.” Alphys finally spoke. She grunted, “You know what, fuck it, I’ll ask her for you.”

 

“What?!” Sans’ cheeks puffed hilariously, as he panicked, “No! Don’t Ask Her If She Likes Me! That’s A Terrib-”

 

“Relax, Nerd, I’m gonna be subtle. I’ll just ask her if she’d ever date a monster. Then you’ll have your answer.” Alphys replied dryly.

 

Sans paused. His SOUL thudded painfully.

 

“… Ok, Al.”

 

“That’s the spirit, Buddy! Just leave it to me! Crap, I gotta go. Some idiot is harassing Grillby again.”

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~

 

 

“Chara! This isn’t funny! Give me my damn pencil back!” Temmie was leaping up into the air, trying to grab her pencil from Chara’s upraised grasp.

 

“Temmie, seriously, I’m trying to talk to you! I tried to be patient, but you’ve forced my hand!” Chara replied, relentlessly, “I’ll give you your pencil back, but you’ve got to stop acting like I’m not even here!”

 

“ _Fine.”_ Temmie replied with a growl as she sat back on her haunches, still very much pissed off.

 

“Ok… now… do you care to explain _why_ you’ve been so nasty to Roxy these past weeks, after she very likely saved us both?” Chara crossed her arms as she handed the pencil back to Tem, a slight frown on her face.

 

“…I wasn’t _that_ bad.” Temmie grouched, pouting as she glared at the human in front of her.

 

“Dude, you taped a paper that said, “ _I like gay porn_ ,” on her back!” Chara exploded.

 

Temmie snickered, “C’mon, Chara, that’s literal comedy gold.”

 

“You also told her that you dropped her house key in the toilet… and she _looked_ for it.”

 

“It’s not my fault she’s so gullible! Seriously, it’s been almost three weeks! By now, she should have definitely wised up to my pranks!”

 

“You also prank called her mom with her own phone and told the poor lady that the chicken revolution had begun, complete with chicken sound effects.” Chara replied flatly.

 

“… that was an accident.” Temmie admitted, scratching the back of her head with a sheepish look.

 

“How is that an _accide_ -Temmie, _why_ are you doing these things?”

 

Temmie was quiet, as Chara frowned thoughtfully at her, scolding, “I’m not saying you have to like her! But is it _so_ hard to be _decent_ to someone else outside the fami-“

 

“That’s not it at all!” Temmie snapped quite loudly.

 

Chara was quiet as Temmie continued angrily, “She’s so damn naïve! She refused to fight in the underground and very nearly got herself killed more than once! If it weren’t for the fact that she was human, with a strong soul, that situation Underground would have gone _very_ differently! I don’t want her to get cocky… she needs to wise up!”

 

Chara blinked, taken by surprise, “You’re trying to… help her?”

 

Temmie snarled, “NO! I’m trying to make her less _annoyingly_ complacent!”

 

“… Temmie, you’re going about it in a really roundabout way, but yes, you _are_ trying to help her.” Chara grumbled, rubbing her forehead, “ Look, I understand that you didn’t like any of the other caretakers, heck, _I_ didn’t like some of them! But… Roxy is actually _trying_. And… you can’t just try to toughen her up by being a brat to her.”

 

“Or can I?” Temmie fired back, “If you’ve noticed, she’s apologizing for menial things much less! That’s _progress_ in my book!”

 

Chara sighed and relented, “Look, Temmie, I-“

 

“Chara, it’s fine. I don’t think anything I do is gonna make her quit at this point. She would have left by now if that was the case… and I don’t want her to… to get herself killed, somewhere down the road.” Temmie glared, “So I’m doing what I _have_ to do!”

 

At this moment, the door burst open, startling both Temmie and Chara, as Asriel barreled in, newly arrived for visitation, his eyes wide. Chara smiled, happy to see him, but her smile was cut off by his hushed declaration.

 

“Dudes! Mom and Dad are _talking_ at the kitchen table!”

 

“Rei…” Chara frowned sadly, as Asriel shook his head, his ears flopping.

 

“No! You _don’t_ understand, dude! Like, they’re _joking_ with each other!”

 

Chara took a moment to pause, as did Temmie. That… was actually very unusual.

 

The three immediately dove to creep downstairs, looking around the corner into the kitchen, as the voices of their parents hummed pleasantly in the background.

 

Chara blinked, as she heard Asgore chuckle softly at something Toriel had said.

 

“I’m so proud of you, Dreemurr, for all the progress you’ve made.” Asgore admitted, grinning reluctantly, “You’ve really _goat_ big dreams!”

 

“Pfft! Gor-I mean, Asgore, you’re _still_ telling those silly puns.” She chuckled, somewhat nostalgic, “I won’t lie… I’ve missed the way you could make me laugh.”

 

Asgore blushed, looking away as he shrugged, “W-well, you know, it’s rare that I find someone who appreciates my brand of humor, so, I’m glad you appreciate my effort.”

 

“… How have the Gaster brothers been?” Toriel asked softly, suddenly less happy and more resigned, as she was painfully reminded that Asgore had someone else to joke with now…

 

“Oh, they are doing just fine. Wingdings has embraced surface life with much zeal. I don’t think I’ve seen Papyrus and Sans so happy. Undyne has become quite happy, as well, having her old colleague back at work with her.”

 

“That is excellent. I am very happy for them…” Toriel paused, as she added quizzically, “Do… have you _any_ memories of this missing person they’ve brought up? This… Revue Plain? I…” Toriel looked troubled, “I can’t recall anything… but every time I try to remember the royal scientist before Undyne… it’s like there’s a piece missing from my mind. It’s very strange. And yet, I know that what the Gaster brothers have said is true, because I remember having the need to appoint Undyne as Royal Scientist. There was… an urgency to needing the position filled. That's the only reason  _why_ she got into the position at such a very young age... and led to all the mistakes made in that terrible DT experiment.” Toriel shifted guiltily, “I should have made sure she had more help… I should have-“

 

“Toriel,” Asgore broke in, speaking with such a soft rumble it was almost inaudible.

“The past is the past. All we can do now is move on. We were all overreacting, panicked and fearful of our future. There's no use in stewing over it.”

 

Toriel’s gaze shot up to Asgore’s compassionate face in surprise. That was the kindestthing he had said to her since they had broken free of the Barrier.

“Asgore… you really think this?”

 

Asgore nodded firmly, adding, “I’m still… very upset by the actions you took… but I myself am not free from mistakes and guilt either. I left you… I left everyone, when I could have stayed, to continue to search for a solution. I understand now that my actions, also done rashly, in anger, were just as wrong as yours. I’m… I’m sorry that I reacted with such hypocrisy when we were finally released.”

 

Chara put a hand to her mouth, as she quietly pulled Temmie and Asriel away. This wasn’t a conversation they needed to eavesdrop on. But… the fact that Toriel and Asgore were sitting down, _talking_ about the past was a miracle in and of itself. That _felt_ like a good sign.

 

Meanwhile, Toriel’s eyes had welled with tears, her hand held up to her mouth as words she never thought she’d hear were spoken to her.

 

“I…” Asgore paused, and Toriel blurted, “Asgore, I don’t _deserve_ your apology!”

 

“Don’t say that, Toriel. I meant every word that I said.” Asgore chuckled softly, “Now, as for this… Revue Plain, I too, have the same feelings you expressed. In fact, I don’t think I could have put it better.” Asgore frowned, as he tried to recall the past, however painful it was.

 

“If I happen to remember anything, I’ll be sure to let you know.” He added and then grinned as he stood up, stretching, he yawned, “I must get started on dinner, but perhaps you’d like to stay and eat with us?”

 

Toriel’s expression was shocked and she giggled, suddenly shy,” I’d…. that would lovely, Asgore. Are you sure it’s ok?”

 

“Yes.” Asgore replied firmly and kindly.

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Justine frowned, as she caught Papyrus slouching in the employees’ only area again, sleeping standing up again. She had asked him to come into work today. Typically, he was off on the weekends, and she felt bad, but the weekends always seemed busier then the week.

 

“Spooky! Wake up!" Justine hollered and he snorted awake, blinking blearily before yawning, "S'up, Justine?"

" What the hell’s the matter with you?” Justine frowned, as she cocked her head at him, hands on her hips.

 

“Oh, sorry.” Papyrus replied with another barely stifled yawn, “Had a rough night last night.”

 

“ _Again_ , Spooky? Just what are you into?” Justine chuckled. She knew Papyrus was bullshitting her, and he shrugged, “Oh, you know, the usual. Sans got upset at Wings for staying up too late again, and they both got mad at _me_ for leaving my socks in the living room. We, uh, it’s possible we all went to bed after 3 a.m.”

 

Justine chuckled, “Pfft, wow, you’re such a freaking rebel, Spooks. If you really wanna piss ‘em off, leave your shoes with your socks next time.”

 

Papyrus chuckled.

 

Scratching the back of her neck, Justine looked at him a little uncomfortably as she finally brought up the reason she had been looking for him in the first place, “Look, uh, I’m considering hiring another employee, for the weekends. I hate asking you to come in on short notice like this.”

 

“Probably a good idea.” Papyrus replied, somewhat sheepishly, “Hopefully you can find someone who doesn’t scare away your customers the way I do.”

 

“Pfft, Spooky, that’s definitely not the issue. I need someone who doesn’t take so many damn smoke breaks.” Justine replied with a chuckle, “Don’t get me wrong, I love your lazybones attitude, but it’s not very profitable, if you get my meaning.”

 

Papyrus cracked a grin, “Hey, hey, now, I get a _ton_ of work done around here-“

He paused dramatically.

 

-“Lemme guess, a _skele-ton_?” Justine replied dryly and Papyrus wheezed, chuckling at the old joke.

 

Justine cracked a grin, “Look, Spooky, don’t get it twisted, you’re not in any trouble. But, with any luck, there will be a new face around here soon, all right? I just wanted to give you a heads’ up, keep you on the same page.”

 

“Alright, thanks, Justine.” Papyrus replied with a chuckle. They both heard the door ding and Papyrus stood to his feet, “Guess I’d better get out there.”

 

“If you’re really worried about scarin’ off my customers, you can make it up to me by working full time on October 31st. I bet we’d make a killing.” Justine cackled as Papyrus turned at the door and stuck his glowing tongue out at her, shooting her double birds before turning back to innocently greet the customer who had come in.

 

Justine chuckled a little, as she refilled her water bottle, thoughtfully turning her head back towards where Papyrus had been standing.

_He’s a strange one… but damn it, my life’s gotten so much more bearable with him around._

She shook her head softly, grateful that Papyrus had walked in an applied at her business.

The 35-year old woman couldn’t help but remember how aloof he had been at first, wary of her and everyone around him.

 

As someone who had suffered from being judged based off her heavily tattooed and pierced appearance, Justine didn’t like weighing someone’s worth based off their looks, preferring to hold off until she saw people in action. She treated him just like she treated everyone else; with a hearty dose of sarcastic, dirty humor and blunt honesty. Yeah, she was an asshole at times, but she wasn't a biased asshole.

 

In the past four years, however, she had come to realize that most monsters were quite kind and polite, if a little socially awkward. There were a few that seemed a little… self-absorbed and perhaps even selfish, but compared to most humans, that wasn’t anything that was a huge problem, or unusual in anyway.

 

No, Justine hadn’t met a monster she immediately disliked, and her spooky, lazy skeleton employee was a very good friend, one that she was growing quite attached to. She often struggled with how she felt about him... he was a lot younger than she was, but... damn it, he was totally wrapped around her heartstrings. She honestly couldn't tell at times whether she was just that fond of him, or if she actually... loved him. Well, no, she definitely loved him, but it was hard to tell what kind of love she felt for him... that was another lie, but she didn't want to chance the comfortable friendship they shared.

 

With a shake of her head, Justine stood to her feet, entering the office, she checked for any online applications. So far nothing.

 

Bored, she refreshed the page and raised a brow. One application showed up.

 

“That was fast.” She muttered under her breath as she clicked the document.

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

“So… you do have friends?” Tristan raised a brow and Roxy just growled at him “YES, Tristan, I _have_ friends. God, do you _have_ to be so mean?!”

 

“I’m just… really surprised is all. Why don’t you talk about them?”

 

“Well, you know, you and I haven’t really talked in a while. I’ve been too busy.” Roxy replied simply.

 

“Ah… yeah… look, Roxy, I’m sorry about everything.” Tristan rubbed his head. Roxy turned to reply but she paused when she saw the rather stony look on his face.

 

“Tristan… _why_ did you move in with me? What happened?”

 

Tristan gave a growly chuckle, “I'm not surprised mom didn't tell you. I might have… um, tried out some devil’s lettuce, with my friend. And uh… Carl caught me. He kicked me out the same day. Didn't even tell mom until she got back home from work.”

 

Roxy blinked. Then blinked again.

 

“ _Carl kicked you out._ Because he caught you with marijuana _once?”_ She repeated dumbly, “AND HE DIDN'T EVEN TALK TO MOM ABOUT IT FIRST?!”

 

Tristan chuckled.

“No. He yelled at me, which was actually fucking scary, since you know, we've never seen that dude yell before, and then… I was out. Mom had a big fight with him about it… but, uh, he wasn’t budging. So… here I am.” Tristan’s face twisted, “I _knew_ he didn’t really like us kids very much, even though he puts up a good appearance. He was just tolerating us for mom… I just didn’t think he hated me _this_ much.”

 

Roxy’s stomach clenched, her eyes brows knit.

 

“So… I guess David really _did_ take after his father after all.” She muttered bitterly and Tristan blew out his breath, “Don’t even talk to me about _that_ asshole. David told me it was about time I “manned up” and got out of his house. He called it HIS house, even though he doesn’t even live there anymore.”

 

“Pfft,” Roxy chuckled, “I’ve got some information that might make you feel better.”

 

Tristan cocked his head, intrigued.

 

“It’s some “Too Much Information” about him. Still wanna know?”

 

“Oh my god, does he have a tiny dick? TELL me that douchebag has a tiny dick!” Tristan suddenly grinned, snickering.

 

Roxy took a sip of her coffee, looked him dead in the face and confirmed, “Barely 5 inches, full mast.”

 

Tristan bellowed in laughter, slapping the table, he hooted, “No _wonder_ he’s always so pissy! Fucking napoleon complex motherfucker, always compensating.”

 

“Yup.” Roxy chuckled softly, “ I’ve got more… but does that make you feel better?”

 

“… A little.” Tristan snickered.

 

He relaxed, finally asking, “So, when are your friends supposed to get here?”

 

“Oh, about 4:30. My friend Kelsey and Cinna are coming over.” Roxy replied, “Cinna’s a monster, by the way, so don’t be weird.”

 

“Pfft, you know only _mom_ cares about that, right?” Tristan grinned, “I think monsters are fucking cool.”

 

Roxy blinked owlishly at her brother.

 

“So… then you don’t mind that Sans is a-“

 

“A gigantic, bad-ass, physical representation of the grim reaper? Fuck no!” Tristan laughed.

 

His sister visibly relaxed and smiled, “Yeah, he’s pretty cool. He’s really kind too. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know him.”

 

Tristan gave her a look, and, cautiously, asked, “So, if he’s one of your friends, why don’t you invite _him_ over?”

 

Roxy turned bright red and stammered, “W-well, uh, c-cause, uh-“

 

“You have a crush on him.”

 

Flabbergasted, Roxy sputtered and Tristan just took a long drink of his mountain dew as she tried to deny it.

Finally, he interrupted, cutting her off with a blunt, “I won’t tell mom. If you ask me, it’s none of her business who you befriend. You’re an adult. You can make your own decisions”

 

Roxy blushed and looked away, both touched and slightly embarrassed, “I… I don’t even know if he likes me the same way. It’s… the reason I’m having Cinna and Kelsey over. I wanna get a second opinion. I mean, I really, really like him, Tristan. It’s been three weeks, and, he’s been such an awesome friend… and he’s cute… and there’s just so much to like about him! But more than that… he’s put more faith in me than I deserve.”

 

Tristan chewed his lip thoughtfully, thinking back to when he’d met Sans. The tall skelly had been polite, a little snarky, but overall very friendly.

 

“To be honest, I thought the two of you were already dating. That’s definitely the impression he gave me when I met him.” Tristan admitted, “he had taken a shower, and he was dressed like he was taking you out.”

 

Roxy blinked, “R-really?”

 

“Yeah, Roxy. ‘Just friends’ don’t dress to impress each other.” Tristan chuckled, “I mean, there’s an exception to every rule, of course, but that’s the impression I got.”

 

He frowned as he added, “By the way, you need to tell mom that you were at the hospital. If she finds out on her own, she’s gonna be pissed.”

 

“I know! I know, I just… I’m scared that she’s gonna get mad that I’m working for a monster family…”

 

“Oh for fuck’s sake, Roxy! You keeping it a secret’s just gonna make everything so much worse!” Tristan scolded.

 

“Pfft, says the guy who decided to smoke marijuana illegally.” Roxy rebutted dryly.

 

“… touché.” Tristan sneered.

 

With a chuckle, Roxy giggled, “ Still, I appreciate your support, Tristan. Thanks.”

 

“Sure,” Tristan yawned, “I’m gonna go and apply for some more jobs today. Wish me luck.”

 

“Alrighty.” Roxy replied as he finished his mountain dew and got up to leave.

 

“I’m probably gonna spend the night at a friend’s.”

 

“M’kay have fun!” Roxy grinned, perking up just a little. That meant she’d have the house to herself today!

 

Tristan paused before he left, adding, “Roxy, invite him over. Next weekend. If you wanna find out how he feels about you, having him spend the night will be very telling, I promise. I’ll even get out of the house if you’d like.”

 

Roxy blushed bright red as Tristan left before she could respond. Her heart thudded at the thought of Sans spending the night at HER house. ALONE. With HER.

_Oh god._

 

She shook all the dirty longings and thoughts from her head, as she lightly slapped her cheeks and focused on her homework. She was nearly done.

 

Her grades had taken a slight hit from having to catch up, the weekend she wound up in the Underground. But Asgore’s input with her teachers and professors had been an extreme help.

 

Roxy paused, as she took a moment to remember the Underground incident. The experience had actually done wonders for her self-confidence and overall feelings. Remembering that she was loved, remembering how all her bad experiences had made her stronger... The future didn't worry her as much as it had before.

 

And then there was Temmie... Roxy wasn’t really surprised that Temmie was being more difficult with her. The doll had thought that she needed Roxy’s soul in order to save Chara, that had to be extremely… awful to deal with. The fact that the doll was soulless explained a lot too, but Roxy had faith that Temmie was capable of goodness.

 

She glanced at her phone as it buzzed with a text notification.

 

It was an unknown number.

 

Quickly, Roxy checked the message, puzzled.

 

(Unknown number): _Hey, Roxy, this is Chara. Could you…. Could you come over? I wanna talk to you about some stuff._

 

Roxy blushed, feeling a little bit worried. What did Chara need? Was everything ok?

 

Roxy swiftly looked at the time. It was only 1 in the afternoon, she had time before Cinna and Kelsey came over.

 

She quickly threw on her shoes and grabbed her house keys, locking up the house, she chuckled as she threw herself into a light jog. Yeah, she was sore from the passed two nights, running with Sans, but it wasn’t far to Chara’s house, and she didn’t plan to go at the same brutal pace Sans seemed to love.

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~

 

Chara answered the door before Asgore or Toriel could, pulling Roxy in, she ushered her quickly upstairs.

 

“Wha-what’s with the subterfuge?” Roxy frowned, brows raised, but Chara just put a hand to her lips, “just trust me, Dad and Mom are talking and I don't want to interrupt them.”

 

As they entered Chara’s room, Roxy blinked in surprise, smiling as she saw Temmie siting in Asriel’s lap.

 

“Hello, Asriel! Hi Temmie.”

 

“Hello, Lady-dude!”

 

“Vanilla.” Temmie greeted blandly.

 

Chara took a seat on the floor, and Roxy followed suit, still puzzled.

 

“What’s the matter?” She asked gently.

 

Chara tugged on a lock of her short, wavy hair, while Asriel cleared his throat.

 

“We wanna ask you about your parents.”

 

Roxy blinked.

“Ok. Shoot.”

 

Asriel looked a little nervous, as he continued, “ U-um, Dude, so, uh, your parents are… divorced?”

 

Roxy relaxed a little. Oh.

“Well, it’s a little more complicated than that. I don’t actually know who my dad is. He… didn’t stick around. But, my mom is divorced from my first step-father.” She explained, “And she’s currently remarried to someone else.”

 

Chara blinked in surprise. “You didn’t know your dad?”

 

“Nope.” Roxy shrugged, “And, uh, it’s fine. I mean, I get curious about him sometimes, but honestly, it’s never been a big deal to me. I think that’s because I had other family members who… stepped in. My grandparents have always been very close to me, and I was around them a lot when I was very little.”

  

“We’re not here to talk about your stupid extended family, “Temmie sneered, “What these two idiots are failing to ask, is, did you ever want your divorced parents to get back together?”

 

Roxy paused, but Temmie went on-“But it’s obvious that that doesn’t apply to you-“

 

“Wait.” Roxy put a hand to her forehead, rubbing it slightly before she looked at them.

 

“Listen… I am not on current good terms with my ex-stapfather. But. Because I didn’t really care about the fact that I didn’t know my biological dad, I fully accepted and loved my ex-stepfather, as a real dad. And, for the first years that he was involved in my life, he was a good father. He worked hard, he played with my brothers and me, he taught us a lot, as much as he could. I owe a lot of what I know to him. Things… _could_ have been really great.”

 

Chara frowned as she waited for Roxy’s next words. Asriel looked like he was going to cry and Temmie rolled her eyes, although she didn’t say anything.

 

“My mom is a good person. She always throws herself one hundred and ten percent into whatever she does, and when she starts something, she finishes it. When she married Roy… she intended to stay with him. But he was… very, very cruel to her. And she took a lot of pain before she finally put her foot down and left him.”

 

Roxy felt her eyes get hot, but she held it back as she looked at the three youngsters.

 

“Do I wish that they would get back together? No. Not at all. She;'s much happier without him. But… I _do_ wish that things had been different. Because it could have been great. The pain that my half-brothers and sister go through is hard to watch.” Roxy finished softly.

 

She cocked her head at them, as she finished speaking and inquired, “Not that I mind talking about it, but what made you guys want to know?”

 

“Well, Dad and Mom are… talking downstairs. More than they have in quite some time.” Chara replied. “Asriel and I really would like it if they got back together… but, neither one of us knows if… if that’s really normal, you know?”

 

Roxy’s heart broke, hearing that, and softly, she exclaimed, “It’s very normal! Don’t feel bad for feeling that way! As long as you ultimately respect your parents’ decisions, don’t feel bad about your own personal feelings!”

 

Temmie groaned, “Oh my god, do we have to keep talking about this mushy stuff?!”

 

Chara chuckled, as Asriel visibly relaxed.

“S-so, it’s ok to hope that they get back together?”

 

“Absolutely. Just make sure that you don’t pressure them. Being divorced can generate a lot of feelings of guilt on the parents.” Roxy explained.

 

Asriel grinned and gave a thumbs’ up, “Got it! I won’t!”

 

“Thanks for being willing to talk to us, Roxy.” Chara added, with an indiscernible expression.

 

Roxy grinned, “No problem! I, uh, I do have to get back to my house; I’m having a sleepover with some friends from school. I’ll see you guys on Monday!”

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

As Roxy exited the Dreemurr house and walked towards the sidewalk, she was smiling faintly to herself, but abruptly froze in place, as she caught sight of Sans across the street. Her heart began to palpitate, as she realized that he must have just gotten home from work. He was _very_ sweaty, his shirt was soaked and clinging to him, in fact…

 

Her jaw practically hit the floor, as she watched him huff in apparent frustration and _strip off_ his shirt, blithely unaware of her presence across the street.

 

And to Roxy’s complete surprise, he really _was_ all bones. Very thick, formidable bones, but bones nonetheless.

 

That _substance_ she could feel, when she hugged him… there was _no_ conceivable way that it was possible.

_Hecking magic, I'll bet._

 

And yet, there he was, his ribcage far thicker then a normal human’s ribcage would be, the girth of his spine proportional with his big ribcage and pelvis, with intimidating spiny bones that stuck out like conical scales along his back. His gym shorts stretched over his wide, substantial pelvis- she quickly looked away from that, swallowing all the drool that was swiftly accumulating in her mouth.

 

Roxy couldn’t fathom how it was that her skeleton friend managed to look so _very_ big and strong. Everything about Sans screamed strength, stamina and-

 

Sans abruptly turned towards her. Roxy couldn’t move, as his eye lights caught sight of her and his face broke into that pleased smile she had come to admire so much.

 

“Hi, Roxy!” he waved cheerfully, flushing slightly but unwilling to put his drenched shirt back on, seemingly blissfully unaware that she was openly ogling him, “I Didn’t See You There!”

 

“H-hello S-sans!”

 

Her feet moved on their own, as she crossed the street, laughing awkwardly, blushing and trying to keep her eyes on his face, “Chara asked me over, to ask a few questions. H-how did your shirt go-WORK! How did your work go?” She laughed, trying to cover up her mistake as sweat trickled down her back.

 

Sans looked at her, concerned, “Roxy? You Seem To Be Really Red! Are You Feeling Ok?”

 

“Oh, I’m pretty boy-GOOD! Pretty good! Yes! Hahahah!”

 

_...I’m really about to fucking die here. I’ve never wanted to jump anyone’s bones the way I want to jump his-OH GOD STOP IT, ROX!_

Warmth was pooling in her belly, a different heat from the previous warm feeling that had developed in his presence and she blushed even more, as she noticed his ribcage swell with his breath, utterly fascinated as every single personal question she ever wanted to ask loomed like giants in her mind, more saliva accumulating in her mouth. she felt disgusting, for feeling these things, thinking those thoughts, and yet, she couldn't help it.

“Are You Sure You’re Ok?”

 

Sans' voice seemed to drop an octave lower, making her tingle with carnal _want_ , and her stomach flipped anxiously as he bent slightly towards her, examining her face. He was so very close, what would it be like to kiss his cheek? Or to... taste his tongue- OH GOD.

 

She could see the glow of that ghostly appendage, and felt that she could _smell it,_ a hint of refreshing wintergreen. Sans' brow furrowed in worry as he put his hand on her forehead, ostensibly innocent concern etched on his features as he reached under her chin to tilt her head up at him, to better survey her.

 

Electricity shot through Roxy at his touch and she yelped, jumping back slightly,” I’m good! Really! I’d love to stay and do you-TALK! Talk to you, but I have to go home bye Sans!”

 

And Roxy ran, like the devil was on her heels, a fire bursting into flame within her belly.

She had some urgent business she desperately needed to take care of…

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Sans blinked as he sadly watched her go, his ribcage heaving slightly as he blinked, a weird, wonderful haze fogging his mind as he turned back to his motorcycle. The haze hadn’t left and he frowned, feeling both confused and...

 

That smell…

 

He blushed, halting as he wildly looked back to Roxy’s direction, his sockets widening as it hit him.

 

Every human scent was slightly different… a combination of water, earth and something extra that made them unique from each other.

 

But when a human was aroused, that differential scent would stand out and intensify.

 

Sans had largely learned to ignore it, like all the other monsters with enhanced senses, these past four years that he lived on the surface, tuning out his sense of smell since some humans were… pretty potent. Roxy’s scent had been growing on him, ever since he’d met her, although he had always thought that she had a pleasant smell.

 

But just now… she had smelled… _very…_

 

 _Inviting_ … Like a flower ready to be _pollinated._

 

He put a hand to his face, embarrassed, intrigued and-

The blushing Skeleton clenched his teeth as his SOUL thrummed and thudded, with an unbidden thought.

 

Was that… that wasn’t… because of _him_ … _right?_

Alphys’ conversation smacked him upside the head, and he quickly grabbed his gym bag and practically bolted inside, grateful that both Wingdings and Papyrus weren’t home at the moment.

_If They Were, I’d Never Hear The End Of It._

 

Sans took the stairs four at a time, as he hurried into the bathroom, his ribcage heaving with panting breaths, as he tried to process what had just happened.

 

He had just gotten home, and since he disliked showering at the locker room in the gym, he usually waited til he was at home to shower and change his clothes. But he had just had so much _sweat_ , he was eager to take his shirt off, get the moisture off his bones. He’d had no idea that he had an audience, but now, the thought that Roxy had been… _turned on_ by him was in turn giving him feelings that he didn’t really want to deal-

 

 _That’s A Lie. I_ Want _To Feel This Way About Her And I Want_ Her _To Feel This Way About Me!_

Sans groaned, his magic swirling uncontrollably inside of him, the need for relief manifesting in a glowing bulge in his gym shorts.

 

He hesitated, god, it had been _so_ long…

 

_Is This… Can I Really Allow Myself The Indulgence?... It's Not Like Anyone Will Know..._

 

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

_~sexy time~_

The thought of his secrecy emboldened him, and he reached down, eagerly tugging down his gym shorts with a groan of reprieve as he let go of his self-control, his magic now free to manifest into what he desired.

 

Taking his pulsing length in his hand, the large skeleton huffed in pleasure, as he recalled Roxy’s flushed face just moments ago, her slightly parted lips as she had taken in breath, her scent, like freshly fallen leaf piles and the faintest hint of coffee beans, the sharpness of that scent growing with allure and unmistakable y _earning_.

 

“Hnnngh! Ah,<3!”

Stifling his moans and grunts as much as possible, Sans slowly worked his hand around his aquamarine length, purring aloud as he felt extreme relief at his own fevered touch.

 

The Skeleton flushed with reckless abandon, closing his sockets as a fantasy brewed in his mind’s eye, gritting his teeth in anticipation as his SOUL pulsed wantonly inside of him.

 

_(Roxy shyly took his ectoplasma in her hand, stroking it with cute, bewildered admiration; she looked up at him with that innocent, sweet blushing face, “Is this ok, Sans? Does this feel good?”)_

“Oh, Yeah.” He muttered, sockets squinting shut, as his pace quickened, giving short, sporadic thrusts into his own hand, as his fantasy escalated.

 

_(“Sans, I… I want to taste it. Can I put it in my mouth?” She pleaded with him, her plump lips parted slightly.)_

“Yes, P-Please!” he rasped, leaning against the wall as his cheeks bones flushed with heat and want, his grip tightening as his bones creaked in agitated passion.

 

Imagining her plump lips wrapped around him, her big, gentle blue eyes hazy with lust, her head bobbing slowly and submissively-

 

"Oh! Fuck <3!" He gasped, as his magic coiled tightly before bursting, slicking his phalanges as he came with a barely stifled growl of satisfaction, snarling out Roxy’s name in a rasping growl as he pumped himself desperately.

 

“Hah-Hah- Oh Damn!” He panted, flushed and half-giddy with rapture as he slowed, his desperation melting into lazy stroking, sockets lidded as his afterglow warmed him.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 ~End sexy time~

 

Aglow with warmth, Sans felt his smile stretch in relief, as he turned to get into the shower.

 

But abruptly, his warmth and pleasure changed to a shivering chill, as a voice from the past called him out, breaking his haze of gratification with a severe jolt of guilt and shame.

 

 _“How disgusting. I can’t believe I worked so hard to get you into bed just for_ this! _What even_ is _this junk?_ ”

 

The memory slapped him upside the head like a knife wound, and his magic instantly became tinged with his own self-disgust, ruining the moment as he trembled, unable to believe what he had just done.

 

 _“Why would_ any _human want this nasty shit inside of them? It’s like fucking glow-in-the-dark paint. Fuck, and there’s so MUCH… You're a real freak, huh?”_

Sans stepped into the shower, feeling slightly numb. What if… what if Roxy thought he was gross, too? What if-

 

“get a hold on yourself, comic! who the hell even _said_ she was aroused because of you?” He sneered at himself, his font nearly inaudible, as he scrubbed the sweat and magical residue off his bones with angry bitterness and a growing sense of humiliation.

 

When he had finished his shower and cleaned the mess he’d made, he avoided looking at his reflection.

 

_He was still so weak, even after all this time._

 

And yet… he could help but think back to Roxy’s scent, and her flushed expression. God, he couldn’t help but allow himself to hope, in spite of his negative memories...

 

_And he felt some anger at himself for even thinking she could be anything like that emotional vampire from the past._

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

  

“Thanks for having me over, Roxy!” Cinna gushed, as she arrived at Roxy’s house.

 

“Oh, no problem! Thanks for coming over.” Roxy sighed with relief. “My friend Kelsey’s already here. C’mon, I’ll introduce you two!”

 

Cinna grinned, as she caught sight of Roxy’s human friend.

 

“Hey! I know you! You come to Grillby’s pretty often!”

 

“Yeah, I’ve seen you around too! Nice to finally make your acquaintance.” Kelsey grinned, shaking Cinna’s paw with delight.

 

“Likewise.” Cinna giggled.

 

After spending almost three hours just talking, (they covered a wide range of topics, from school, work and real life to interests like T.V. shows, movies, music, the latest internet videos and finally-)

 

“So Roxy, have you confessed to Sans yet?” Cinna asked teasingly as she popped open a bag of popato chisps.

 

Roxy turned red as Kelsey grumped, answering for the blushing girl, “NO, she has NOT. I’ve been hounding her about that ever since she told me she had a crush on him!”

 

Roxy gulped and then reminded herself that she had asked for this.

 

“Guys look, I… I need help,” the shorter girl stammered.

 

“Boy, tell me about it.” Kelsey muttered, “Cinna, did Roxy tell you about her whole thing about being awkward around guys?”

 

“Aren’t all girls awkward around the guys they like?” Cinna asked, confused.

 

“I… possibly. But that’s not the point! The point! Is that that Roxy is _more_ awkward then the average girl!”

 

Cinna frowned, as Roxy blushed.

 

“I’m sure that’s not true.” Cinna refuted, speaking to Roxy directly, “You seemed so natural with him when I saw the two of you at the café! Roxy, I’ve never seen Sans open up the way he did with you. I’m not claiming I know Sans very well. He was mostly busy with sentry duties, in the Underground, and when I was a kid, he would always _bluster_ his way through whatever awkward situation he and Papyrus got into.”

 

Roxy’s eyes widened as she suddenly seized on that, “You knew him when he was a kid?!”

 

“I did.” Cinna smiled, a little wistfully, “Not very well, you see. I liked Papyrus even then, and… I was very shy. Besides…”

 

"Say, why don't YOU confess to this Papyrus dude?" Kelsey demanded, "BOTH of you need to grow some balls!"

 

Roxy snorted as Cinna paused and then admitted, “I inherited an ability that my family hasn’t had for generations… I can see red threads.”

 

Kelsey gaped, “Like… red threads of fate?!”

 

“Yes.” Cinna nodded, “Not everyone has one, a red thread, I mean… but Papyrus definitely does. And his... isn’t connected to me. I… don’t even have one.”

 

Cinna looked down and away, the fur on her cheeks slightly ruffled, as her ears drooped.

“That’s… that’s part of the reason why I can’t talk to him.It's also why I like being a matchmaker."

 

Roxy hugged Cinna, unsure of how to reply to this information. Cinna leaned into her with a slight sniffle, as Kelsey frowned.

 

“Well, you know what? Screw fate! You should at least try! Because if you don’t try, you’ll never know! And besides! Maybe once you actually get to know him, on a deeper level, you might not like him at all! He might turn out to be a douchebag who will jump the nearest, bustiest skirt that he can jump into bed with, in spite of so many years together!”

 

Roxy and Cinna both blinked, as Kelsey shouted angrily before stopping and flushing, as she sheepishly scratched the back of her head, “Uh… sorry. I just… broke up with my boyfriend a few weeks ago. He was screwing his dumb, blonde co-worker. She’s… got amazing boobs. Kinda like yours, Cinna.” Kelsey added, a little enviously.

 

Cinna giggled, “Thanks! Although I do feel bad for human women who have large mammary glands, because I’m made of magic, I don’t have some of the… physical problems that humans have with larger breasts.”

 

Roxy’s jaw dropped, “Really?? Wow! That’s amazing! I’m so freaking jealous!”

 

“You and me both,” Kelsey chuckled wryly, adding in self-disgust, “I don’t _want_ huge tits… just something more.”

 

“Pfft, Kelsey, you have bigger boobs than I do, stop complaining!” Roxy scolded, but Kelsey just snorted, “Roxy, you’ve got an amazing ass! And you may have smaller chesticles, but you mostly wear bralettes and sport bras, right?”

 

Roxy had taken a sip of water, but spewed it out, all over her friends, coughing and sputtering as she gasped, “Did you just say _chesticles!?”_

 

Kelsey calmly grabbed a bunch of napkins and dried off her face, handing some napkins to a dripping Cinna as she remarked very calmly, “yes, I did, now can you answer my question?”

 

“Uh, yes?” Roxy was so red, it looked like she was in danger of combusting.

 

“Well then, you have very symmetrical boobs. They’re perky too! And besides that, not all guys are about boobs. Some of them like butts. Which you have.” Kelsey pointed to her right breast, “One of mine’s a little bigger then the other and it pisses me off.”

 

“I’ve told you before, Roxy, and this goes for you too, Kelsey, monsters have different standards of beauty.” Cinna told them both very firmly, “and in my opinion, the both of you are very pretty, and you're both very kind and fun to be around! Which is far more important!”

 

“But, does Sans even LIKE humans?!” Roxy wailed, “I mean, is that even a thing for skeletons?!”

 

Cinna opened her mouth and then closed it.

 

Kelsey put her hand in her chin, suddenly very far away as she murmured, “Yeah, how would you two _do_ it?”

 

Roxy coughed and sputtered, turning bright, bright red, as Cinna’s fur ruffled and fluffed, rather flustered.

 

“C’mon, you can’t tell me you have thought about it!” Kelsey accused the both of them, “Papyrus is Sans’ brother right?! Cinna, c’mon, spill it! You know more about them then we do!”

 

Cinna laughed nervously, “Oh… I mean, every monster’s way of… _the horizontal tango_ … is a little different. It depends on their magic, and how well they connect on a personal level. But, personally… I gravitate towards Papyrus’ tongue. I…. really love thinking about his tongue when I... _boondoggle_.”

 

She muttered that last bit, and Roxy fell slightly forward, her forehead slamming into the table, unable to avoid thinking back to what she had done, as soon as she gotten into the house, after seeing Sans shirtless.

8~8~8~8~8~8~8

(flashback)

 

  _Guilt and pleasure swirled within her, as her chest heaved. Intense want had overwhelmed her, and it seemed she couldn't move her fingers fast enough..., picturing Sans' smirk, the glow of his cyan tongue-_

 

_8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8_

_(end flashback)_

Cinna wrinkled her nose, slapping a hand over her nose, “Oh my GOD! I know you like him, but Roxy _please_!”

 

Roxy looked up, confused and flushed, “What?”

 

“Your smell!”

 

“...WHAT DO YOU MEAN MY SMELL?”

 

“…I can smell your... arousal… jeezus,  _why_ are you so fired up?!” Cinna added with a raised brow, her fur ruffling even _more_.

 

Kelsey was intensely interested as well, as Roxy gulped.

“Um… I may… or may not… have seen Sans shirtless…This afternoon.”

 

Cinna leaned back, a look of understanding melting her disgust.

“Did you talk to him?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“And did you feel _this_ intensely while you were talking to him?”

 

Roxy gulped.

“More so.”

 

Cinna pinched the bridge of her nose while Kelsey demanded, “WHAT?! WHAT?! Don’t just ask a bunch of questions and then not explain-“

 

“He knows.” Cinna said flatly, before laughing a little, “ Or, at least, he _knows_ that you were _hoping_ for a _humping_.”

 

Roxy spluttered as Kelsey burst into laughter, “oh damn!”

 

“Actually, “Cinna added, chuckling, “if he likes you just as much as you like him, then it’s a damn miracle that he didn’t… uh… take action. Then again, Sans does have an impeccable sense of self-discipline.”

 

Kelsey choked back a laugh, snickering, “heh, heh, you almost got _boned.”_

 

“… Welp, what now?” Roxy muttered into the table, her head fit to explode with blood.

 

At this moment, Roxy’s phone dinged at her.

 

Roxy sat up, looking at her phone with apprehension.

 

“Who is it?” Kelsey asked.

 

“Oh, its Alphys, Sans’ friend. She’s pretty cool.” Roxy muttered as she looked at the text.

 

Her cheeks drained of color.

 

“She’s asking me if I’d smooch a ghost. What the heck?”

 

Cinna giggled, “Oh my god, I loved that episode of NTT!”

 

At Kelsey and Cinna’s confused glances, Cinna quickly explained, “Oh, that’s a show we used to watch Underground, it was hosted by Napstaton! So, basically, she’s asking if you’d date a monster.”

 

Roxy frowned in confusion before replying to Alphys’ text.

 

She looked back up at Cinna and Kelsey.

 

“… you guys are so calm about all this.”

 

Kelsey waved it off, a little bitter as she replied, “I’ve… made a lot of mistakes. You’re totally ok, Roxy.”

  
“I just… don’t have a filter.” Cinna giggled a little.

 

Kelsey frowned as she muttered “We need to help you out, Roxy. You've been on your own for two years, right?”

 

“W-wait! I… Tristan told me to invite Sans over this next weekend. I c-could uh-”

 

“Perfect!” Cinna grinned, “If you _want_ him to admit that he likes you-“

 

“But that’s the thing! I don’t know if he even LIKES humans!“

 

Kelsey and Cinna looked at each other before Kelsey flatly replied, “You told us both yesterday that he _said_ he liked you. You can at least see ask him if he’d want go on a casual date with you-“

 

The phone dinged at them all again.

 

Roxy’s eyes widened.

 

The text was from her mother.

 

(Mom) _Roxy, were you at the hospital earlier this month?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woof. Man, this is late. But, hopefully the extra length made up for it?
> 
> ALSO I GOT OVER 100 KUDOS?! 
> 
> WHAT?  
> *cries*  
> thank you SO MUCH!


	23. Humans and Monsters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roxy's mom has a turn around and Temmie makes some... interesting discoveries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is late, i got distracted by another ...fic I wrote  
> *sweats*

 

 

When Papyrus got home from work, he could immediately sense that something was off. There was _weirdness_ in the air and he frowned, unsure if he was ready to deal with it so soon after getting home from his impromptu shift today.

 

Justine had set up an interview, so he’d gone home early, which was just fine with him.

Papyrus scratched the back of his head, he kinda felt bad for falling asleep on the job so many times today, although he had honestly been exhausted.

 

But as much as he had in common with Justine, as far as laziness went, she really was _trying_ to be a responsible business owner.

 

_Hmm... I wonder if she’s ever thought about selling monster food?_

Papyrus blinked, as he found the source of the weird. Sans was slumped on the couch, looking… disgruntled… And he had an untouched bottle of vodka in hand.

 

Papyrus froze at the sight of the bottle, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw the bottle was still intact.

 

“Sans? What’s the matter bro? You look a little _dead_ inside.” He spoke cautiously.

 

“Hello Pap.” Sans replied, not even reacting to the pun, which had Papyrus on high alert.

 

“Bro, what happened? Did someone tell you tacos suck?”

 

“… Pap, Do You Think A Physical Relationship With A Human Is Really Possible?”

 

Oh.

 

Oh no.

Damn it, not this again…

 

Papyrus pinched the bridge of his nasal cavity as the question hit him like a sucker punch to the gut.

 

“Wow, ok, uh, wanna be a little more specific, bro?”

 

“Not Really.” Sans replied glumly, “You’ve Dated A Few Times… Both Humans And Monsters, Right? … Do They Ever… Get Grossed Out By Your Magic?”

 

This was not the first time that this had come up and Papyrus tensed, wondering what had brought this on.

 

Did... Did _Roxy_ say something? But that was _extremely_ hard to imagine, he remembered her apparent fascination with their magic that one time she ate pizza with them. She hadn’t appeared disgusted at _all_ , instead glowing warmly with flushed embarrassment, giving _him_ the impression that she was very interested in how their anatomy worked for… more selfish purposes.

 

With this in mind, Papyrus replied, his voice hitching into a growl.

 

“Sans, trust me when I say that that _bitch_ you dated was a one-of-a-kind piece of shit.” Papyrus snarled, before his expression softened, adding sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head, “Look… I mean, there was _one_ human I dated who was a little weirded out by… ectoplasm… but that wasn’t _anything_ like what you went through, Sans. But hey, what’s this about? We've talked about this before,” Papyrus frowned, “What’s brought this back up all of a sudden?”

 

Sans shifted guiltily, staring up at the ceiling, a blue blush hazing over his cheekbones.

 

“C’mon, bro, what’s eating you?” Papyrus sat next to Sans and waited patiently.

 

“Just Bad Memories, Pap… That, And… I’m Going Crazy. I _Want_ To Tell Roxy How I Feel, But,-” here, he sat up, trembling, “-I’m Just So _Fucking_  S _cared.”_

 

Papyrus sighed, sitting next to his brother, he frowned, considering his words.

 

“Sans… can I tell you a secret?”

 

Sans looked over at Papyrus in surprise.

“What Is It?”

 

Papyrus chuckled softly, “I… I’m terrified of serious relationships. That’s the reason I’ve never had a closed relationship. And to be honest, what _you_ went through really gave me a sour taste for humans… But I’m starting to realize that this doesn’t mean that _all_ humans are bad. That’s… something I’m realizing more and more.”

 

Papyrus looked at Sans and grinned sadly, “Unfortunately, there’s not any easy way to say this, but, you’re never gonna know for sure unless you take that leap and talk to her.”

 

Sans nodded softly, looking down at the floor, he tightened his hand into a fist.

 

“I’m G _oing_  To Tell Her. This Week. I’ll Do It, Or D _ie_  Trying!” Sans stood to his feet, suddenly energized, as he broke into an intrepid grin. “But, _I Don’t Plan On Dying_ , So No Worries!”

 

Papyrus frowned softly, as he leaned back in the seat, happy to see Sans in a cheerier mood, and yet puzzled.

 

What _had_ brought on that episode?

 

Wingdings arrived home at that moment, looking flustered, his coat and suit ruffled.

 

“Oh, Sans, Papyrus! I’m glad you are both home! I need… some advice. How do you _politely decline_ a rather _pushy_ colleague’s invitation to dinner?”

 

Papyrus blinked in surprise and Sans grinned, chuckling, “Leave This To Me, Pap!”

 

Papyrus chuckled as Sans went through the verbal steps of initiating a platonic friendship with Wings.

 

The youngest Gaster grinned half-heartedly, as he watched Sans speak to 'Dings confidently, thinking quietly to himself.

 

 _Figures Wings_ would _be an shy ladies’ man… poor lady would have had a better shot if she had been dressed like Princess Peach, Nyeh-heh-heh._

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

To say that Roxy was extremely put out by her mother’s text was an understatement. How had she even known? Tristan _couldn’t_ have said anything… and the bill had been taken care of by Toriel and Asgore.

 

Roxy was an adult, and she hadn’t been seriously injured, so it hadn’t been necessary to call her mother.

 

 _I can either bluff… or I can tell the truth and die._ She thought despairingly as Cinna and Kelsey watched her with uneasy eyes.

 

“I’m gonna tell her the truth… but not tonight. I’ll ask her if she wants to meet tomorrow.” Roxy decided, speaking aloud.

 

Cinna frowned, as she asked, a little sadly, “Does your mom not care for… for monsters?”

 

“It’s more that she doesn’t care for my dating _anyone_ she doesn’t approve of. But! Uh, the fact that I didn’t tell her about my visit to the hospital is really going to piss her off.” Roxy grumbled, scratching the back of her neck.

 

“To be honest, I didn’t think that she would find out. I still have no idea.”

 

Kelsey tsk’ed, rolling her eyes, “your mom is a helicopter parent for sure.”

 

“W-well-“

 

“And don’t give me that 'She’s had a hard life' bull-crap. I’m sorry she went through so much, but that doesn’t give her the _right_ to dictate your life!”

 

Roxy looked away, muttering, “Yeah, so I’ve heard.”

 

Cinna kindly put a paw on Roxy’s shoulder, tuning out the residual scent of arousal that had bugged her as she said softly, “I know it’s hard to have fights with your own family… my family were all royal guards and sentries… But I was _never_ cut out for that type of work, not with my magical abilities. It… was really hard for my mom to accept that I wasn’t a fighter. Oddly, my grandma, Lagomorpha HammerFoot, was the only one who wanted to support my dreams and she was the _first_ Captain of the Royal Guard.”

 

Cinna shook her head as she laughed softly, “When she retired, she took to baking, and… I loved helping her make stuff. She always told me that I was the reason she started making Cinnabunnies.”

 

Her pink ears drooped as she added wearily, “My parents are _still_ upset that I didn’t go into the Royal Guard, and that I’m not trying to get into the Police Academy.”

 

“What are you studying for that’s so awful?” Kelsey asked, her brow furrowing.

 

“I’m studying to be a nurse practitioner. I have really good grasp of green magic, so, uh, I wanted to focus on healing others.” Cinna replied softly.

 

Kelsey’s eyes bugged and she practically snarled, “ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! The BOTH of you are studying to be CONTRIBUTING members of society, what the hell is wrong with your paren- DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT MY PARENTS WOULD _DO_ TO HAVE ME STUDYING SOMETHING LIKE MEDICINE OR TEACHING?!”

 

Roxy blinked,” … your parents don’t like that you wanna be a graphic designer?”

 

“No.” Kelsey said flatly, “They think it’s a waste of time. Which is why I’m living on my own now!”

 

Cinna and Roxy both hugged Kelsey, with Roxy saying very firmly, “Who cares what our parents think?! We have our own dreams and expectations!”

 

Cinna giggled softly,” We don’t have to live to make them proud. We have to strive to make _ourselves_ proud and become the _best_ that we can be!”

 

Kelsey chuckled, fighting back tears at the support she was being given, she snarled, “Alright, alright, enough hugs. Let’s get some ice-cream and watch some rom-coms, whadd’ya say, pals?”

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Alphys smirked as she received Roxy's response to her query, snorting loudly and startling Undyne awake.

 

“Al? Why are you still awake?” Undyne murmured sleepily.

 

“Oh, Sans is being an absolute dingus.” Alphys grumbled, and Undyne suddenly sat up, “Wait, is he wanting to confess?”

 

Alphys looked over to Undyne and grinned a little sharply, “yeah, he does. But he’s scared. He can’t bring himself to believe that Roxy feels the same way.”

 

Undyne was now fully awake, her shipping nature awakened as her eyes flashed. When she’d finally met Roxy, her otaku instincts had instantly zoned in one how the human acted around Sans, the way she blushed, the fact that her eyes were constantly drawn to the Skeleton. It was a very classic scenario of shy-girl-acting-goofy-around-her-crush syndrome.

 

“Fuhuhuh! We’ll have to d-do something about that! I’ve seen how she l-looks at him when she thinks no one’s watching!” Undyne grinned toothily, her eyes flashing almost scarily.

 

Alphys chuckled, “Yeah we will! I’ve already laid some groundwork by asking the Airhead if she’d smooch a ghost.”

 

Undyne flushed, remembering that particular episode of NTT’s show.

But Alphys only chuckled as she kissed Undyne’s forehead, “She said it depended on the Ghost, but that yes, she would… she included that she’d kiss a monster too.”

 

Undyne grinned, “So, let’s go visit Sans tomorrow and tell him!”

 

“Nah, I’ve got a better idea!” Alphys grinned, “I’m taking some time off soon, so we can go to the lake. I know the weather’s getting colder, but it’s not freezing just yet! We invite our favorite skelebros, Chara and Temmie and _of course_ we invite Roxy, cause she’s Temmie’s nanny! Except we involve Chara, so that way, Chara will look after Temmie, and we send Sans and Roxy on a bunch of errands!”

 

Undyne giggled, “I like it! It’s perfect!”

 

“Good! … Although I _will_ tell Sans what she said before that, so hopefully he’ll grow some freaking balls.”

 

“D-don’t be t-too rough on him, Alphys… that first relationship he had was d-downright awful.”

 

“I know! But Roxy’s nothing like that sadistic freak! And the sooner Sans realizes that, the better!” Alphys grunted, cuddling her precious fish in her strong arms as she kissed Undyne again, muttering, “I can’t believe how luck _I_ got, having _you_ as my first. I love you, 'Dyne.”

 

Undyne blushed, glancing away, she leaned into Alphys, murmuring, “I love you too, Al.”

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Roxy nervously paced in front of the teashop. She had asked her mom to meet her at Grillby’s hoping that the new environment would… maybe distract her mom from whatever anger was brewing within her.

 

Plus, Grillby was kind and civil, not to mention how yummy his products were. She felt positive that her mother, a coffee junkie just like her, would have an appreciation for that Campfire Tea.

 

Her mother’s vehicle pulled into the parking lot and Roxy fidgeted, as she looked over the very obviously exhausted lady.

 

Dark bags under her eyes, sallow expression, a little thicker around the waist from all the stress she was under…

 

Roxy felt her heart sag in her chest, as her mom walked towards her, a little slower than usual.

 

“Hi mom.” Roxy opened her arms and her mom hugged her tightly, gripping her daughter to her chest in a very firm, loving grasp.

 

“Hi Mija.” Desiree murmured, in a quiet voice.

 

They drew back and Roxy coughed slightly, “So, uh, I should have told you before, but this is a monster tea-shop. The owner is a Fire monster, but he’s very nice! And the food and tea is super yummy!”

 

Roxy’s mom gave a slightly fatigued smile as she nodded, “Ok. Lead the way.”

 

Roxy looked over her shoulder, slightly surprised at her mom’s complacent attitude. That was definitely not normal… did something happen?

 

Desiree was quiet, as Roxy ordered two Campfire teas and two ember scones, replying politely when Grillby greeted her.

 

They sat down at the same corner table in the back that Roxy had chosen her first time here.

 

“So, mom…” Roxy mumbled, “I uh, I didn’t tell you, but-“

 

“Roxy, I… I’m not mad.” Desiree murmured, putting a hand to her forehead, “I just… I know you’re… you’re an adult now… You don’t have to tell me everything that’s going on with you. I understand, and I'm so sorry, for how I've treated you.“

 

Desiree stared into her tea, as Roxy frowned gently, reaching out to touch her mom’s arm, “I didn’t tell you for… well, different reasons. But none of them had to do with me not _wanting_ you in my life, mom. I was scared that… you’d be angry with me.”

 

Desiree looked up in surprise, before her expression became complacent again.

“I suppose that’s no surprise. I _always_ seem to drive people away.”

 

Roxy squinted into her own cup, murmuring, as she spoke, “Well, here it is Mom… my new employers are a monster family. One of their children fell into a coma and… the child that I’m taking care of didn’t react very well. I was just… overwhelmed, by exhaustion, and that’s why I was hospitalized.”

 

Roxy was _not_ about to tell her mother that she had engaged in some sort of life-or-death fight with a creature from an unknown dimension.

 

But, her mother’s annoyed expression was enough to make her wonder if she should have just said that she fell down some stairs and was concussed.

 

“You’re working for _monsters?_ ”

 

“Yes, mom. They live right down the street.” Roxy replied, “They’ve been extremely kind and accommodating to my schedule, and they’re even paying me twice as much as I was making before.”

 

Her mom opened her mouth and than closed it, her hands gripping the teacup as she replied softly, “Are you happy working for them? Do you… do you feel comfortable?”

 

“Yes mom. I’m working for Asgore Dreemurr.” Roxy revealed with a gentle smile, “he’s one of the kindest men I’ve ever met. His children, Chara and Asriel are sweet and kind. The kid I’m watching, Temmie, is struggling with a lot, but she has so much potential! I’m… I want to help her to overcome her issues.”

 

Desiree leaned back in her seat, as she finally took a sip of Grillby’s tea, frowning, she sighed deeply, confessing, “This… this _is_ really good tea.”

She looked back up at Roxy and admitted, in a low tone, “I’m sorry, Mija. I know I was harsh, when I met your friend, the Skeleton… Since then, heh, I’ve begun to realize that… all too often, _humans_ are the ones who act like monsters… and _not_ the ones that came from under the mountain.”

 

Desiree looked back down and added softly, “it doesn’t matter who you befriend, I’ll _always_ be worried about you. I had so many… 'friends' who used me for their own purposes, it’s hard for me to… to not worry for you; for _all_ my children.”

 

Roxy shook her head, smiling softly, “Mom, I’m gonna be fine. I’ve already learned so much… and I’m grateful that you’ve had a change of heart about Sans. He really is a good guy. And… mom, I’m so grateful to you for giving me a place to live while I work and go to school.”

 

Desiree nodded softly, asking, “Are things… better with you and Tristan?”

 

“Yeah, thanks for talking to him… I heard what happened with him and Carl. Do you… wanna talk about it?”

 

Desiree shook her head, “Not really. I’ve already talked and talked until I was blue in the face… I thought he loved me… I thought he loved _all_ of us, but…”

 

Her face twisted in pain and regret, “I was wrong.”

 

Roxy’s stomach dropped, and she sat up, furious as she growled, “What did he _say_ to you, mom?”

 

“… He told me that my children were none of his concern.” Desiree replied bitterly, her fingers grasping the teacup, she added bitterly, “And he _also_ told me that if Tristan set foot on the property again, he’d call the _police_.”

 

Roxy was flabbergasted. Sweet, soft-spoken cattle-rancher Carl… had _said_ those things?! It seemed physically impossible

 

Roxy was all too familiar with Carl’s son, David, and how that douchebag was _very_ capable of such harsh and selfish words and actions.

 

However, David’s father, Carl, had _always_ come across very differently from his son, soft-spoken and thoughtful, speaking only when he felt he had something worth saying and always trying to help when he saw a need.

 

Where had _this_ come from?! Had he _always_ felt that way about Roxy and her siblings?!

 

“Tristan was wrong, to bring illegal substances to the ranch, I’m _not_ defending him… but Carl didn’t even tell me about it until _after_ he’d tossed _my_ _son_ out on the street. As soon as I could, I set Tristan up in our old house.”

 

Desiree looked at Roxy with puffy eyes, her lips stretched in a pained expression as she added, “and I know it was _very_ short notice, and I d _efinitely_ should have told you about David helping out but I was just too upset to be thinking rationally… I’m so sorry I put you through that, Roxy. You always seem to be caught in the crossfire of my mistakes.”

 

Roxy’s mind cleared. She felt bad for all the anger she had felt towards her mother, as the reasoning behind the actions were explained.

 

“Mom, I’m so _sorry_.” Roxy blurted, putting her tea aside, uncaring for who saw her, she wrapped her arms around her mother.

 

Desiree returned the hug, her eyes stony as she quietly murmured to Roxy, “I never expected this from Carl. Even _Roy_ , as messed up as he was, accepted you as his own.”

 

Roxy sat back down, as Desiree continued, frustrated, “I had told Carl that if he was going to marry me, my children and I were a package deal. I told him, ‘ You do know I have six children’. Why is he doing this _now?_ ”

 

Roxy snorted, disgusted, she growled, “Well, I _don’t_ feel bad about never calling Carl “Dad” now. He’ll always just be “Mr. Koehler” to me.”

 

Desiree sipped more tea, and Roxy noticed that her expression seemed a little brighter.

 

“Do you like the tea, mom?”

 

“I do. It has an excellent flavor… why do I get the feeling it’s making me energized on top of that?”

 

Roxy gave dramatic jazz hands as she chuckled, “Magic!”

 

Desiree chuckled, softly, a sense of wonder sending a tiny tendril of hope within her shattered, discouraged spirit.

 

“Wanna take a walk after we finish?” Roxy asked, with a soft smile, her spirit lifting as she observed the corners of Desiree’s lips turn up gently.

 

“Yes… that sounds good.” Desiree smiled softly, adding gently, “I’m very glad you asked me to meet with you… visitations never get any easier… Which, by the way, is how… I found out that you were in the hospital. One of Roy’s brothers had been working a shift there… and they saw you. They mentioned it to him and he brought it up to me, last night, when he was picking up the kids.”

 

Roxy felt her cheeks go red and she snarled, “Well, you can tell him to mind his own business.”

 

Desiree laughed softly, “Oh, how I wish.”

 

They returned their empty cups to the counter and stepped into the crisp air. October had just begun, and Halloween décor was already popping up.

 

“It’s funny, but every time I’m in my cadaver class, all I can think about is your skeleton friend.” Desiree laughed softly; shaking her head she added softly, “ Maybe sometime, you can have him over for a visit? He really did seem nice… for a skeleton. Tristan’s had _very_ good things to say about him.”

 

Roxy blinked in surprise and laughed, her spirit buoyed, “Yeah! I’m sure he’d like that!”

 

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

 

“Alphys, C’mon, Spill It!” Sans begged, as Alphys sipped her coffee slowly, looking at him unimpressed, she shook her head, “Nah, you’re the one who’s been putting it off!”

 

Sans pouted, crossing his arms as he grumped, “What Was The Point Of You Asking If You Weren’t Going To Tell Me?!”

 

“Hnya-Ha-ha! The point was that _I_ wanted to know!” Alphys roared her laughter, grinned as Undyne timidly spoke up, “Um, Al? M-maybe you should tell him!”

 

“Pfft, no, ‘Dyne! He’s gotta learn!”

 

Sans crossed his arms and Papyrus chuckled, “Wow, Alph, showin’ some real tough love, huh?”

 

At this moment, Sans’ phone buzzed and the blue-eyed Skeleton checked it, confused.

 

It was Roxy’s brother, Tristan.

The kiddo had found him on Quickchat and had sent a follow request a few weeks ago, which Sans had tentatively accepted. So far, Tristan seemed like an ok guy, very chill and laidback. Sans certainly hadn't regretted accepting the request.

 

_Sk8rboi: Hey, uh, yo… So I feel like, you should head to Grillby’s. It’s possible that… uh, my sister could be there… talking with my mom… and having you there might be really great for Roxy’s self-esteem. Your support really means a lot to her._

Sans blinked in surprise at the text. He stood abruptly, his eye-lights blazing with purpose as he looked at Alphys challengingly.

 

“You Know What? _Keep_ Your Secrets! I Shall Discover What She Feels On My Own! Mweh-Heh-Heh!” He declared in a bright, challenging manner, hurrying to the door, he grabbed his jacket and helmet.

 

“Sans? Where are you going?” Alphys scrunched her brow and Sans snickered, “To Grillby’s, Of Course!”

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

As they walked, Roxy and her mom began to catch up, leaving behind Desiree’s stress as they window-shopped. Roxy tentatively shared her work stories, reminding Desiree of stories from Roxy’s own childhood. The time flew, as they spoke with each other, their spirits growing buoyant with positive energy, before eventually turning back to walk the way they came, as evening crept upon them, setting an even colder chill into the air.

 

They’d taken a shortcut between buildings when a dark figure stepped in front of them, blocking the way.

 

Roxy’s breath hitched as she recognized the figure; it was the _same_ guy that had questioned her, when she’d gone running with Sans.

 

He sneered at them, blocking their way.

 

“Hey, I remember _you_. You’re the bitch that was rude to me, the other night!” he sneered, his tone extremely unfriendly.

 

Roxy shrank back, terrified as a flashback to her near mugging occurred, the way she had frozen in place.

 

Desiree had no such qualms, stepping protectively in front of her daughter as she replied sternly,” We’re just walking to Grillby’s. Please step aside, sir, we don't want any trouble.”

 

“Pfft, who is this, your freaking big sister? The both of you are rude as fuck!” The guy sneered, advancing on them, he growled at Desiree, “Your little sister needs to be taught some manners! She’s a monster fucker too!”

 

Roxy squirmed in discomfort; the brand sticking to her as she remembered the way Alicia and her racist friends had ganged up on her at the Ice-cream shop.

 

She was almost afraid that her mother would turn on her with disgust.

 

Instead, like a mother bear whose cubs are threatened by a predator, Desiree drew herself up, her limbs and body hardening into a stance that was well familiar to herself as she snarled, her hazel eyes flashing dangerously.

“Excuse me, but you have _no right_ to make _any assumptions_ about my daughter and her friends! That is _her business_ and it doesn’t concern _you_. Now please, move out of the way before my daughter calls the police!”

 

Roxy sprang into action, grabbing her phone, she held it up, but someone from behind her snatched it from her hand.

 

“Damn, Josh, you were _right_ about this being a good place to find chicks!” the man behind Roxy wheezed, leering at her as he reached out to touch Roxy’s face with a gross, sweaty hand.

 

He never even got close, as Desiree’s hand shot out and grabbed his wrist, deftly _breaking_ it with a sickening crack.

 

The man howled, as she pulled him towards her body by his now broken wrist, sending her knee into his groin, she shouted, “Roxy, _run!”_ shoving the doubled-over man towards his partner. The two women ran, away from their attackers, but the first man, Josh, had dodged his fallen partner, catching up quickly, he grabbed Roxy by her long hair and yanked her back.

 

Roxy shouted painfully as she was hauled back, grabbing at his arm, she tried scratching at him, but he pulled out a pocket-knife, causing both herself and her mother to freeze.

 

Josh sneered at them, his eyes narrowed, “You bitches aren’t going anywhere, if you know what good for you.”

 

Roxy squeaked, “Please, just… just let my mom go!”

 

“Pfft, you’re not in _any_ position to make demands.” Josh sneered as he looked back up at Roxy’s mom, “You’ve had some training. Too bad it didn’t help you.” He leered.

 

Desiree clenched her jaw, trembling, as she assessed the situation, the familiar cool of her training settling over her as she analyzed the situation. If she could get him to swing at her, she could probably distract him enough to let Roxy’s hair go. She would get cut, for sure, but Desiree wasn’t about to let this creep hurt her daughter anymore then he already had…

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~

 

Sans had arrived at Grillby’s, frowning as he peered through the glass at the empty teashop.

 

He looked around, wondering if Tristan had pulled a prank on him, but he recognized Desiree’s car, parked in Grillby’s parking lot. Huh.

 

_I Wonder Where They Are?_

He sighed, his soul flipping slightly in agitation before he took a deep breath of the sweet, chill October air-

 

He froze.

There was the _faintest_ smell of leaf piles and coffee beans-Roxy’s unique scent-, mixed with the cold metallic tang of _unmistakable_ _dread_.

 

Swiftly, Sans’s legs moved on their own, his eyes flashing with magic, as he followed his nose, racing down the sidewalk and ducking between buildings. _This was taking too long!_

 

He swiftly gathered his magic and energy to take a huge jump against the wall, keeping his momentum, he pivoted, leaping against the opposite wall, he sprang back and forth, til he was on top of the roof, catching the scent, he ran,  until he was peering over the edge of a building that was only a few blocks from Grillby's.

 

Time seemed to stop, as he took in the scenario.

 

Roxy was there, crumpled to the ground, her hair grasped by a very dirty hand.

 

Another woman, strikingly similar in appearance to Roxy, (her mom) was fixed in a defensive stance that Sans recognized instantly as a trained fighting stance. She could do nothing, however, as the aggressor holding Roxy’s hair held a large pocketknife in his other hand, sneering at the woman standing defiantly in front of him.

 

Sans’ jaw clenched, as he observed all this in a _split instant_ , the situation representing itself like an equation that needed to be solved.

 

Without hesitation, he grasped an already materialized bone-staff, swiftly raising a wall of bones between the standing woman and the attacker.

 

Like a bird of prey, Sans leapt into the air, using his gravity magic as he raised his staff over his head and swung it down on the unsuspecting man’s wrist that held the knife.

 

The human screamed, as his wrist shattered under the bone staff's strike, instantly letting go of Roxy’s hair, he clutched at his ruined joint, swearing and crying.

 

Sans whirled his staff without hesitation as he swept his weapon under the man’s arms, smashing into his stomach with just enough force to knock him off his feet, away from Roxy.

He quickly removed the first wall and raised another wall, so it was just him and the wheezing human, rolling pathetically on the ground.

 

Sans snarled, his socket black and terrifying, as he growled, “YOU… You Slimy _Hypocrite_! You Accused _Me_  Of Being Capable Of hurting My  _Friend_ , And Now Here I Find YOU, Laying Your Dirty Hands On Her, Against Her Will!” Sans’ voice rose into a growl as he grasped the human by his soul, hoisting him into the air, he snarled, his canines flashing, “ _Threatening_  Her And Her Mother, When They've Done Nothing To You? What Kind Of _Sicko_  Are You?”

 

The human didn’t answer, whimpering and groaning as he cradled his broken wrist.

 

Sans knew it didn’t matter. Whatever this creep had to say, it wasn’t even worth listening to.

 

He turned to the wall of bones he had put up, quickly dematerializing it.

Roxy had struggled to her feet, her mother wrapping her daughter in her arms, “Roxy, are you ok?”

 

“I am now.” Roxy smiled weakly, looking over at Sans, her eyes shone, with a soft, warm light, and Sans felt himself flush under her admiring gaze. He swallowed before asking in a calm tone,” Are The Two Of You Ok?”

 

“Yes, we’re ok. I’ll… I’ll call the police. Oh! There’s another one, over there,” Roxy’s mom pointed down the alley to a figure that was trying to crawl away.

 

Sans’ sockets flashed and four walls of bones sprang up around the human, effectively trapping him.

 

The Skeleton shook his head as he muttered, “I’ll Put This One With His _F_ _riend_  While We Wait For The Police.”

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~

 

Desiree had been shocked, when a wall of blue-tinted bones had suddenly risen from the ground, cutting her off from Roxy and the attacker.

 

But to her surprise, she heard the coward who had threatened her _screech_ in pain, as a resounding crack echoed through the alley, and she could hear a growling voice.

 

Barely a minute passed before the bones were gone. Roxy was struggling to her feet and Desiree didn’t hesitate as she rushed to her daughter’s side, checking over Roxy for injuries before looking up to see Roxy’s friend, Sans the Skeleton, his face set in a grim expression, his sockets glowing and the man who had hurt Roxy curled in a fetal position, hovering helplessly in the air.

 

_He…he protected us…_

Desiree blinked as she realized Sans was speaking to her, concerned, “Are You Ok?”

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

It wasn’t long before the authorities arrived, taking statements from Roxy, Desiree and Sans. Both ruffians had been taken to the hospital, to get their wrists examined. They were in police custody, to be charged with deadly assault of course, and as Desiree turned away from the officer, to glance at Sans and Roxy, her heart softened, as she saw the way the big skeleton was looking at her daughter.

 

_Tender, protective, concerned and…_

 

Desiree quickly looked away. A twinge of jealousy, and a soft happiness swirled within her.

 

It appeared Roxy _had_ found a genuine friend… and perhaps something more. The thought that Sans could love her daughter was a strange one, but that expression on his face was clear. Desiree hadn’t ever really thought about monsters having romantic relationships with humans.

 

However, as someone who had been _harshly_ judged and ostracized for having children out of wedlock (as well as being divorced and then remarried) Desiree didn’t care to critic others on their relationships, so long as both parties made each other truly happy.

 

If Roxy pursued the big skeleton, and found a genuine, loving partner in him, Desiree would _certainly not_ stand in the way of her own daughter’s happiness.

 

The tough woman’s fists clenched, as a thought sparked in her.

 

If Sans ever _hurt_ Roxy, she would give him a _very_ bad time. Nevertheless, since he had put himself between her daughter the ruffian who had threatened them, Desiree was more than willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and a fair chance.

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Once Desiree had left and returned home, allowing Sans to escort Roxy back home, Roxy looked up at Sans with hero-worshipping eyes.

 

“Do you realize that’s _literally_ the second time you’ve saved my _life_?” she asked quietly and softly.

 

Sans scratched the back of his head, looking at her warmly as his SOUL spiked, murmuring, “I’m Just Glad I Got There In Time… I… I Don’t Know… What, Heh, what I would have done… if… oh god if…”

 

His voice cracked and Roxy’s eyes flew to his face, surprised. There was such strong emotion there, his eyes practically filled with glowing aquamarine tears, and she was quick to wrap her arms around him, quickly replying, “But you got there, and you _saved_ my mom too! Everything and everyone is fine, and it's because of you, Sans!”

 

She squeezed him tighter, blushing bright red, but unwilling to let him go, as she added, tearfully, "You are my hero!"

 

Sans looked at her, clenching his jaw, yearning to speak but feeling frozen in place, as he gently patted her back, wrapping his arms around her in a tight embrace, he ducked down, pressing his skull to the top of her head in a firm embrace.

 

“Sans?” Roxy murmured, after a moment.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“…Please… If you ever need to talk, please tell me. You’ve been there for me so many times, you’ve been so supportive, I… I wanna do the same for you. I… I can’t help but feel that… that you’re holding something back.”

 

…

 

“Roxy, You’re Right.” Sans said, hesitantly, as he looked down at her, worrying his ecto-tongue between his teeth gently, as he looked away in shame.

 

“There _Is_  Something I Haven’t Told You, And… I’m Sorry For That. But I Just Don’t Feel Ready To Tell You Just Yet.”

 

Roxy felt a slight sting, along with a silent dropping of her stomach, as she looked at him.

 

He smiled, embarrassed as he added quickly, “I Will Tell You Soon, I Promise. Please Just… Give Me Time?”

 

“Of course, Sans. However much time you need. Just… you know I’ll support you, right? No _matter_ what it is!” Roxy told him, even as her stomach clenched at the thought that… that he loved someone else….

 

However, as Sans walked her to her door, Roxy beckoned him to lean close to her.

 

He frowned, bending slightly.

 

Roxy screwed up her courage, her spirit buoyed by the events of the evening, and she kissed his cheek quickly.

 

“You’re my hero Sans. You'll always be my hero. Don’t _ever_ forget that.”

 

And she quickly raced inside, her heart pounding fit to burst from her chest.

  

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

The following Tuesday, Roxy and Temmie were heading back to the ice-cream shop, with Temmie grumbling about how sweaty Roxy’s shoulders were.

 

“Tem, I’m sorry, I can’t help it… do you want to walk?”

 

“… NO.” Temmie grumbled, frowning, she added, “Say, what’s this mark on your neck?”

 

Roxy blushed, “Oh… I might have gotten attacked on Sunday.”

 

“WHAT?” Temmie demanded, slapping the top of Roxy’s head, she snarled, “And you didn’t tell me?! What happened?”

 

Roxy blushed, gently removing Temmie’s agitated figure from her shoulders.

 

“My mom and I were taking a walk. It was dark, and we thought we could cut through an empty alley. A guy stepped out, had a partner with him and tried to attack us… My mom was a Krav Maga instructor, once upon a time, and she tried to create an opening for us to escape, but they…” Roxy bit her lip, feeling embarrassed, “They grabbed me by my hair… and threatened me with a knife.”

 

She blushed, her breath hitching, “I don’t know how, but Sans showed up… and he…” Roxy breathed deeply, her cheeks turning red, “he _saved_ me. He was totally like… like a knight in shining armor. He saved me again... he's always coming to my rescue...”

 

Temmie looked at Roxy’s dreamy face shrewdly, grinning, “Pfft! You act as though you have a crush on him!”

 

“…”

 

“DO you have a crush on him?”

 

Roxy blushed even more and Temmie cackled, “You DO! Oh MY GOD, THIS IS AMAZING! I can't wait to tell him!”

 

“NO! Don’t!” Roxy pleaded, and Temmie sniffed loudly, “Why not? What are YOU gonna do to stop me?”

 

“I’ll, I’ll….” Roxy stammered, her mind blanking with terror at the thought of Sans finding out.

 

“WHAT?” Temmie growled smugly.

 

“… I’ll hold you down and fart on you.” Roxy replied decisively, her cheeks burning red.

 

Temmie abruptly paused, unable to believe what Roxy had just said, quickly blustering, “You’re-YOU’RE BLUFFING!”

 

Roxy grinned sharply, “Don’t test me, Tem. I'm a lean, mean, gassy machine.”

 

 “… THAT’S DISGUSTING! YOU’RE DISGUSTING!” Temmie shrieked, her face horrified.

 

Roxy giggled as she pushed open the door to the ice-cream shop, “Then don’t tell him and no one gets gassed!”

 

“Hello there!” a mature, mellow female voice called out and Roxy looked up quickly, to see a very beautiful, very elegant woman, standing behind the counter.

 

“Hi!” Roxy smiled, blushing and instantly feeling shy and self-aware of all her flaws.

 

Temmie’s jaw dropped, but she said nothing, unable to believe this.

 

It was _that_   _bitch_. The bitch who broke Sans’ heart.

 

… Did Papyrus _know_ this cunt was working here, at the ice cream shop?

 

  _Goddamn it, Vanilla, you have the worst luck..._  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh lord... Sorry about that cliff-hanger...


	24. Tread The Venus Flytrap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get a look at the human who introduced Sans to human dating and broke his heart. Can Roxy show some backbone to the woman who tore her friend apart?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *buckles up*

 

Temmie didn’t say a thing, as her eyes met the warm, honey-gold eyes of Megan Madison, Sans’ ex-girlfriend. Roxy was totally unaware of Temmie’s internal dialogue as she fidgeted, smiling shyly at the pretty lady behind the counter.

 

“What can I get for you, hon?” The lady asked in a sweet tone.

 

“Oh, uh… A cone with two scoops of mint chocolate chip and a cone with two scoops of butterscotch… right Temmie?”

 

Roxy looked down at Temmie, only to find the Doll’s face vibrating, looking up at Megan, who was peering down, smiling enthusiastically.

 

“Oh, hi Temmie! Long time, no see.” She gushed.

 

Temmie snarled, “Bite me, Mega-bitch. I’ve got nothing to say to you!”

 

Roxy stared, dumbfounded at the rudeness that spewed from Temmie. Not because of the words, but the _venom_ in Temmie’s normally snide voice was overwhelming.

 

There was a flash of something sinister in the pretty woman’s grin, as she drew herself back over the counter, getting the cones, she smiled in a teasing way.

 

“Oh, Tem, you always did have such a way with words.” She giggled softly, “Who’s your friend?”

 

Roxy blinked and cautiously, replied, “I'm just a family friend. Tem’s getting an ice cream because she’s been doing so well in school.”

 

“That’s good to hear! Last I checked, you were struggling quite a bit, dolly.” Cooed the lady in sugar-sweet tones.

 

Temmie snarled low in her throat as Megan smiled sweetly, handing the mint-chocolate chip cone over the counter, she didn’t wait for Roxy to grab it all the way, letting go too soon.

 

The ice-cream cone plopped against Roxy’s shoes.

Roxy went bright red, gasping, “I-I’m so sorry!”

 

“Oh, no, sweetie, that wasn’t your fault!” Murmured Megan in a sultry, teasing tone, “Let me get you another one!”

 

“Roxy, don’t you dare apologize to this Assbag, she did that on purpose!” Temmie growled, unable to take it, as she warped onto Roxy’s shoulders, so she could look right at Megan.

 

Megan gave a dramatic gasp and pulled an innocent expression… one that didn’t sit well with Roxy, as she finally held up a finger, still red

“Excuse me, Megan… I, uh, I need to step into the bathroom, to wipe off my shoes.”

 

“Of course.” Giggled the elegant lady, “Please, take your time!”

 

Roxy ducked into the single use bathroom, with Tem on her shoulders.

 

“Temmie, please, how do you know that lady?” Roxy asked, her stomach feeling weird and sick from the encounter, flashbacks from her childhood running through her brain.

 

“… Vanilla, I didn’t wanna be the one to tell you this. Not any of this fucking mess. But you really do have the goddamn worst luck.” Temmie growled, “That bitch… Is Megan Madison. She was Sans’ first girlfriend.”

 

A cold, prickling feeling slammed into Roxy, as Temmie’s words rang within her, her stomach growing hot, her shoulders grasped by icy fingers, as Temmie went on, “You might have guessed, but things did not go well between the two of them. She was… an absolute shit to him. And that’s coming from me, soulless as I am. I don’t particularly care for Sans, BUT!.... that’s not the only thing she did. She caused a heap of trouble for Chara too… Chara, Asgore, Toriel and Asriel suffered at her hands too.”

 

Temmie snarled lowly, as she growled, “I’ll never forgive her. NEVER”

 

Roxy felt like she was going to throw up. That beautiful, perfect looking lady… had been Sans’ first girlfriend?

 

“… Tem, what do I do?” Roxy whispered, choking, “I… oh god, I’m so fucking useless!”

 

“Pfft, Vanilla, this isn’t the time to be putting yourself down! Don’t you fucking realize that it’s OCTOBER?!”

  
Temmie snarled, adding angrily, “Remember you asked me for a chance, to give you until the end of the month!? AND I TOLD YOU I DIDN’T WANT YOU PAST CTOBER? But GUESS WHAT?! You’re _still_ here! Because you changed my mind _somehow_!”

 

Temmie sneered, her eyes narrowed as she continued, “Because you’re NOT like that bitch, you’re _different_! You actually _give_ a crap about my family! You’ve helped them, when you didn’t really need to! So, fuck her! She’s all fake plastic anyway!”

 

Roxy sniffled a little, her eyes red, as she looked at Temmie, her heart seizing.

 

“Tem… I… I don’t know-“

 

“I KNOW how you can repay me, Vanilla. You get out there, and you show her the _same_ goddamn backbone you showed that Alicia bitch!”

 

Roxy took a deep breath. Several. And then, she clenched her fist and nodded.

 

“I can do that.”

Tem huffed in semi satisfaction, as she saw a spark in Roxy’s blue eyes, a certain tilt in her jaw, as she straightened her posture.

 

“You better not let me down, Vanilla.”

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Megan had just finished cleaning the ice cream off the floor, smirking to herself, when Roxy and Temmie came out.

 

“Oh, I was worried you had gotten lost in there.” Megan simpered, narrowing her eyes as Temmie gave her a distorted snarl.

 

“Don’t be an absolute cunt.” Temmie snapped loudly and fearlessly.

 

“My goodness, your language certainly hasn’t improved.” Megan tsked, but Roxy held up her hand, her expression firm as she replied, “Don’t speak to Temmie that way. She’s honest about her feelings, which you clearly are not.”

 

“I don’t know what you mean.” Megan replied tartly, her soft brown eyes narrowing.

 

“You may think you’ve fooled me, but I was _raised_ by a narcissist. I _know_ the signs. You drain everyone around you, just to make yourself feel good and needed while denying what you do and what you are. And if you _ever_ come near my friends-“

 

“There’s nothing you can do to me that hasn’t already been done.” Megan replied flatly, straightening, her honey brown eyes flashed, as she added in a sneer, “You don’t know where I’ve been, or who I am, so don’t insult me by pretending you know what you’re talking about!”

 

Roxy felt her lips stretch, in a humorless smile, as she crossed her arms, “You know, that’s the exact same thing my ex-boyfriend told me before I decked him one.”

 

Megan furrowed her brows, “Is that a threat?”

 

“Pfft, _sweetie_ , I don’t threaten. I’m too blunt for that.” Roxy replied in a gruff voice as her eyes narrowed. She recalled the way Sans had spoken about his past, with that strange, unease and the way he had doubted his own worth in the eyes of others…

 

_You Were Right… That Time That You Told Me That Some Of My Weekly Students Were Probably Just Shy. I’ve Spoken To Them, And, They Don’t Give Off The Impression That They Dislike Me. I Was Misinterpreting Them The Whole Time.”_

 

Sweet, energetic _confident_ Sans… _doubted_ his worth because of _this_ woman, standing in front of her and Roxy added, with a sneer, “By the way, you _failed_ in what you did. You _didn’t_ hold him down. He’s _grown_ , in strength and character, since you’ve been gone, and he’s so much better off without you.”

 

Megan snarled, “I don’t know who you’re-“ but she stopped, a hazy expression swirling into her eyes, as her gazed flickered over to Temmie before looking back to Roxy, and suddenly, her lips quirked into a hateful smirk, which seemed wrong on her pretty face, turning her _ugly._

 

“Oh. You mean that cute  _skeleton_ I dated. Pfft. If you think I’m racist, you’re wrong. I love humans and monsters equally. We weren’t a good match, so I broke up with him! And really, what’s so wrong about that? What have you heard? Did he talk shit about me? Are you his new girlfriend? Cause it looks like he _downgraded_.” She sneered, looking down her nose at the shorter, curvier girl.

 

Roxy flinched, but pushed her own self-esteem away as she growled, “I’m _more_ to him than you EVER were… I’m his GODDAMN _FRIEND_. And I’ll _stick_ by him through thick and thin, come _hell_ or high water!” Roxy fired back, her mellow voice growling snarly.

 

Before Megan could reply, another woman came out from the back, instantly becoming aware of the tension, she frowned, “Is something the matter, miss- Wait, you’re Roxy! Comic’s girl!”

 

Roxy flushed, _Comic?_ As the woman, the manager, by her nametag, grinned at her.

 

“Yeah, I saw you stand up to those assholes that were in here last month… is there a problem here?” Justine frowned, as she saw the way both women were flushed, tension thick in the air.

 

Temmie sneered,” Lady, if you hired this cunt, then you goofed real hard. She’s an emotional vampire.”

 

Justine cocked her head as her brows furrowed, confused and rightly so. “I’m sorry- what?”

 

“Ms. Darryl, all that happened was that I used to date this Skeleton Monster named Sans, who is apparently their friend??? And they’ve slandered my name, just because I didn’t get along with him and broke things off.” Megan pouted her shapely lips, looking innocent and beyond annoyed.

 

Justine’s shoulders went cold, as Papyrus’ words came back to haunt her.

 

 _And in return, the bitch_ broke _him. Do you understand? She_ shredded _his self-confidence, she_ manipulated _and lied to him_ , gas-lit _the shit out of him, stars, she_ fucked _him just for the bragging rights-!“_

 

 

“-Get out.” Justine snarled.

 

“I-w-what?” Megan actually looked shocked.

 

“Your services are no longer required here. I’ll give you your severance pay. Just leave. Now.” Justine ground out through teeth tightly clenched.

 

Megan blinked and blinked again, her face twisting, “This is... this is discrimination!”

 

“NO, this is the very _least_ bit of justice I can dish out to you, for what you did to that sweet boy. Now go, before I call the cops.” Justine growled. She was truly terrifying looking, with her savage piercings and her squared jaw, her intense, smoky eyes flashing and snapping.

 

Megan snarled, “You better reconsider this. I’m the _last_ person you wanna piss off. Just ask that silly little doll sitting on that dumb bitch’s shoulder!”

 

Temmie flinched and bristled, but Roxy outright snarled, putting Temmie down on the ground, she crossed the room in three steps, jabbing a finger into Megan’s chest.

 

“We don’t fucking care who the _hell_ you think you are!” She bit out, breathe heaving in her chest; every nerve, every muscle on fire with tension.

 

Temmie was about to add in her own vehemence before suddenly catching a glimpse of something that set her face vibrating in agitation.

 

There was a sparking, right beside Roxy, which no one else apparently could see… it looked like a skinless humanoid woman, dressed in dark, swirling midnight robes, a cowl pushed back over her shoulders, revealing glowing white hair and heterochromia eyes.

 

The apparition touched Roxy’s shoulder, hesitating, before _reaching_ deep inside, and suddenly, there was an electric cackle, as Roxy’s chest heaved, her words growing in power and meaning as she roared, her voice resonating strangely in the small business, “You took his self-confidence, when all he wanted was someone who _understood_ him, and NOTHING AND NO ONE GIVES YOU ANY RIGHT TO DEFEND YOURSELF!-“

 

And suddenly there was an audible crackle and a _pulse_ , like an invisible hand, that rushed from Roxy’s being,  _shoving_  the arrogant, emotional leech that was Megan Madison, clean off her feet and down on her ass.

 

The shocked expression on her face was extremely gratifying… or it would have been, if Roxy weren’t down on her knees, panting and sweating, suddenly extremely fatigued and shocked, by whatever had just happened.

 

Justine vaulted over the counter, kneeling down beside Roxy, she looked up, her dark brown eyes furious and crackling dangerously at Megan, “I _won’t_ say it again… get the hell out of here before you _catch these hands_.”

 

Megan scrambled to her feet, throwing her apron down on the ground; she looked at them very coldly and calmly.

 

“You _will_ regret this.” She said in an eerily tranquil voice before walking out the front door. Temmie shuddered at those words, an echo from a distant timeline lapping at the shores of her mind.

 

Roxy panted, her eyes squeezed shut, “Water… please let me have some water?”

 

Justine ran to the back, grabbing a cup and filling it, she brought it back, helping Roxy sit at one of the tables as the frazzled young woman sipped slowly, breathing sporadically.

 

“I’m so sorry, I’m so _sorry,_ kiddo!” Justine fretted, her tattooed hand going to her cheek in self-reproach, “Oh my god… Papyrus was supposed to meet her tomorrow… oh my god, he would have _hated_ me!” She snarled at herself, now angry, as well as concerned for Roxy’s well being.

 

“C’mon, take deep breathes, Vanilla, before you fucking hyperventilate!” Temmie snapped angrily, her eyes narrowing as she CHECKED Roxy’s stats.

 

To her surprise, Roxy’s HP had increased slightly; her LV and DF still the same as before.

 

Temmie blinked in surprise, as she read the hidden text.

 

**_Roxy:_ **

****

**_Is struggling, after having raw magical potential unlocked inside of her._ **

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Justine closed her shop for the day and walked Roxy back to Asgore’s house, with Tem walking alongside them, scowling. Why of all things, did that stupid bitch have to make an appearance today?

 

“You sure you’re ok?” Justine asked for the millionth time.

 

“Yeah, I’m ok, I just feel really, really tired… I don’t know what that was.” Roxy admitted softly, frowning as she looked down at her hands, “Justine, I… I’m very glad to have met you, I just wish it had been under better circumstances.”

 

“You and me both, kiddo. You’re a precious cookie. I’m glad Sans has got you in his corner.”

 

“Oh, right, you… you called him Comic… why?” Roxy asked, suddenly recalling it.

 

“Oh, well, Papyrus told me that was his first name. Comic Sans Gaster. He doesn’t like being called Comic, but, heh, I forget like, all the time.”

 

“Oh…” Roxy frowned, wondering why that was.

 

She squeezed her eyes shut, as a wave of nausea washed over her. God, what had that been? She’d felt something strange, intangible and yet physical leave her being, rushing out to push the infuriating person in front of her away.

 

At that moment, as they were walking up the sidewalk to Asgore’s house, they heard the roar of Sans’ motorcycle.

 

They turned to see Sans park his motorcycle in the driveway across the street, just returning from work. Roxy flushed warmly, at the sight of his sweaty figure, her heart and stomach fluttering hard.

 

The way his clothes clung to his frame had haunted her dreams lately, and had been… _heavily involved in some private moments she had at home, in her room... late at night._

 

The tall, thick Skeleton caught sight of them as he took off his helmet and rushed across the street, calling out in concern as he noticed Justine supporting Roxy.

 

Roxy felt her heart beat pulse in her ears. She could her skin glowing as he approached.

 

“Heya C-Sans.” Justine greeted, catching herself.

 

“Hello Justine, Temmie. Roxy, Are You Ok?” Sans asked, deeply concerned. "What Happened?"

 

“Y-yeah. I’m just… tired, heh. I might’ve pushed myself too hard today.” Roxy replied, unwilling to let it spill that she had met his horrible Ex. Apparently, Temmie and Justine had the same thought because they didn’t offer explanation.

 

Sans surprised them by very easily scooping Roxy up in his arms, bridal style, “Justine, Will You Please Open The Door For Me?”

 

He added to Roxy with a sheepish chuckle,” I’m Sorry I’m All Sweaty.”

 

Roxy felt like she was going to die, as he held her like a china doll, just because she was so close to him… last night, when she’d gone running with him, there’d been tension, and now, as she looked up at his handsome face, she laughed awkwardly, “I don’t mind getting sweaty with you.”

 

….

 

_OH MY GOD WHAT DID I JUST SAY-_

Sans turned blue, as he chuckled, “Well… Good? I Have Plenty Of It To Share.”

 

“Oh my god, get a room, you two!” Temmie snarled, making barfing noises.

 

Roxy and Sans both coughed, as Justine grinned, eyeing them out of the corner of her eye.

Man, they were really cute…

 

“Well, Temmie, why don’t I get you something to eat, huh? Sans, you’ve got healing magic, right? Why don’t you _give it to_ Roxy?” Justine winked boldly as she and Temmie made a beeline for the kitchen.

 

Sans and Roxy both gaped, before glancing away from each other.

Sans coughed delicately, “I… Yes, I Can Give You Some… Some Healing Magic.”

 

“Th-thank you, Sans.” Roxy murmured, her stomach rolling.

 

She swallowed and murmured, “Sans… oh man…”

 

“Are You… Are You Really Ok?” he murmured quietly, his hands glowing soft aquamarine and shifting to a darker green.

 

Roxy sniffled softly and chuckled, looking up at him with tearful eyes, she reached out and tenderly, she touched his skull, stroking his cheek. Sans went still as her fingers fluttered over his cheek, his breath hitching.

 

But Roxy didn't notice his chagrin, as she thought back to that cruel look on Megan’s face, the snide way she had spoken… Sans had been _subjected_ to that.

 

“Sans… do you realize how _important_ you are?” Roxy murmured, “I don’t know what I would do without you… you’ve become so… SO IMPORTANT to me…”

 

Sans flushed blue, his tongue thick behind his teeth, as she gave him that same adoring look from Sunday, when he’d rescued her and her mother.

 

“…Roxy, You Have Class Tonight?” he finally choked out, as her hands reluctantly left his face.

 

“Yes.”

 

“May I Drive You To And From School Today? I Want To Bring You Dinner… And I Have Something I Want To Tell You.”

 

Roxy’s heart pulsed at those words and her stomach dropped.

 

“I’d love that!” she smiled at him, feeling her spirit flutter and her energy returned ten-fold.

 

Sans grinned, relieved.

 

“Let Me Heal You And Then We’ll Get Going.”

 

“Thank you, I appreciate it.” Roxy murmured, feeling her excitement grow.

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Kelsey paused, as she heard the loud roar of a motorcycle echo across the campus parking lot and she squealed, as she saw Roxy riding with Sans.

 

The tall, thin human watched, with growing happiness, as Roxy hugged the giant skeleton, before catching up to her.

 

“Kelsey!” Roxy called out.

 

“Hello, damsel in distress.” Kelsey smirked, “Did your knight save you again?”

 

Roxy laughed awkwardly, “Oh man, you’re not gonna believe my day!”

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~

 

 

Sans rushed home to get started on the dinner he wanted to make for Roxy. Her class let out at 7 and he only had about two hours to prepare everything.

 

“Bro?” Papyrus peered around the corner, as he blearily woke up from napping on the couch. Sans chuckled softly, looking over at his brother.

 

"You're Gonna Have To Order Take Out Tonight Pap."

 

"Oh?" Papyrus yawned, slouching into the kitchen as he muttered, "Why're you depriving me and 'Dings of your cooking?"

 

"Cause I've Got A Confession To Make, And I Feel It's More Likely To Go In My Favor If I Bring Some Food." Sans replied, as he pulled things out from the fridge and began cooking.

 

Papyrus grinned, feeling a swell of pride.

 

Three weeks ago, he would have been worried sick about something like this happening. However, after everything that had happened in the past month, Papyrus was filled with belief, in both Sans and Roxy. He felt hope for himself too. The thought of joining Undyne in her job at the human lab, working alongside Wingdings and his fishy friend had been brewing in his mind the past few weeks now.

 

As he lazed at the kitchen table, chuckling and smirking at how busy and absorbed Sans was in his cooking, he pointed out with a smirk, "I'll be sure to tell Wings that you're not coming back tonight."

 

Sans flushed a deep, dark purple, whirling on Papyrus, he shouted, "PAP that's INAPPROPRIATE!"

 

"You know you want to." Papyrus grinned.

 

Sans opened his mouth, closed it, his blush fluctuating as he whirled back to his cooking, ignoring Papyrus' snide chuckle.

 

What he wished, in _that_ regard didn't matter, it was definitely NOT going to happen tonight, no way. But... Sans knew for sure, he wanted to tell Roxy how he felt. Somehow, tonight... it felt right. He felt far more sure of himself than he had for a while now.

 

He smiled joyfully to himself, as he elegantly chucked a bone at Papyrus without looking, laughing softly as he heard the soft _thwack_ and Papyrus’ loud curse.

 

Yup, tonight was gonna be perfect.


	25. Starry-Eyed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans makes good on his promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY HERE, HOLY HECK.

  

“Oh my god!” Kelsey spat angrily, as Roxy finished telling her friend about the unfortunate encounter. Class had finished, and they were standing outside. Kelsey had opted to stick around until Sans showed up, listening with growing disgust as Roxy spoke.

 

“His ex _said that?!_ What a _bitch,_ the fuck did she mean he downgraded _. BITCH!”_ Kelsey snarled with conviction.

 

Roxy nodded glumly, still feeling extremely exhausted from... whatever weird thing had happened that afternoon, muttering, “She’s right though… in the looks department anyways. I _am a_ downgrade, because other then her terrible attitude, she was _so pretty_ -“

 

WHACK!

 

Roxy blinked stupidly, feeling the top of her head as Kelsey smacked her head with her rolled up spiral notebook again and again.

 

“OW! Stop!”

Roxy ducked a sixth swipe.

 

“NO, _you_ stop!” Kelsey snapped, “Don’t _ever_ let me catch you talking shit about yourself ever again!”

 

Roxy rubbed her head, blinking in surprise as Kelsey added heatedly, “You don’t realize how _lucky_ you are Roxy, you’ve got a kind heart and beautiful eyes! Stop comparing yourself to other people! Besides, it’s getting _real_ obvious that Sans likes you as more than a friend. So!”

 

Kelsey smacked Roxy’s shoulder with a firm hand, grinning as the red-face girl winced and took a sip of water.

 

Kelsey went on, gripping her fist into an intrepid pose, “You gotta get out there, and you look that tall, handsome boy right in the socket, and Roxy, you _tell_ him, 'I’m READY! BONE ME UP'!”

 

Roxy spewed out her water, coughing and sputtering.

 

“… Well, maybe don’t be THAT direct…” Kelsey added as an after thought, startling as they both heard the roar of Sans’ motorcycle made them jump, as he pulled up alongside the curb.

 

“Hello, Friend Of Roxy!” Sans greeted, looking a little bit nervous as he smiled and waved.

 

Kelsey grinned and winked at Sans, “Hey Skelly boy. You take good care of my friend, ok? Make sure she stays out of trouble!”

 

“I Promise!” Sans grinned, handing Roxy a spare helmet

 

Roxy felt butterflies flutter all over her belly, as she hugged Kelsey good-bye and smiled, “Thanks for waiting with me, Kelsey. See you tomorrow!”

 

Kelsey smirked as she shrugged, “Same here, dude! Welp, I gotta go! Take care you two! Remember, kids, use protection!” she winked at Roxy and went to find her car.

 

Sans flushed blue, as Roxy blushed bright red.

 

“Uh, she clearly meant for us to wear helmets, right?” Roxy laughed awkwardly as Sans laughed, also awkwardly,” Of Course! Nothing More Important Than… Using Protection.”

 

Roxy took the proffered helmet and Sans chuckled, “Let’s Ride!”

 

She actually giggled a little, adding, “I've got to admit, riding with you is extremely fun! I can’t wait to get my own vehicle, but if you ever want company for a road-trip, please count me in!”

 

“That’s A Great Idea!” Sans gasped, his pupils turning into shimmering stars at the idea,” There’s So Many Places I Still Need To Travel To And See Here On The Surface, And I'd Love To See Them With You!”

 

Roxy shoved the helmet over her head as she broke out into a goofy blush, grinning in excitement, as she clambered onto the motorcycle behind him and squeezed him firmly, her breath stolen away by the sudden movement of the bike.

 

Sans felt his SOUL pulse; just as it did every time that he transported Roxy on his bike.

 

The way she gripped him from behind, so strong and now, completely comfortable with him.

 

 _Yes… Tonight Is The Night._ He thought to himself. He chuckled to himself, thinking back to just a half hour ago, when he’d stopped at Roxy’s house to drop off the food he’d made, knocking on the door.

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 (half an hour prior)

 

_Tristan had opened the door, confused as he saw Roxy's skele-friend._

 

_"What's up, my dude?"_

_“… I Need A Favor.” Sans admitted, “If I Give You 50 Bucks, Will You Pick Up A Few Pizzas And … Spend Some Time With My Bros? There’s Something I Want To Talk To Roxy About In Private, And Well, I Can’t Bring Her To My House Because Of My Brothers, And It’s Too Late To Take Her Somewhere, So If You Wouldn’t Mind-”_

_“Yeah ok.” Tristan chuckled, laughing softly at how nervous the giant skeleton looked._

_“R-really?”_

_Tristan chuckled, “Not to be weird, but geez, about time, man. Took ya long enough.”_

_Sans flushed, as Tristan took the fifty bucks and slipped his shoes on._

_“Where do you live? And will your brothers be ok with me hanging with them until tomorrow?”_

_“I-TRISTAN NO.” Sans groaned, “I’m Not Gonna…. I’m_ NOT _SPENDING THE NIGHT…”_

_Tristan cackled as he walked to his car, ”Whatever you say, dude,” And drove away._

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

Sans shook that memory from his head, blushing as he pulled up to Roxy’s house. This was it. No turning back.

 

Roxy frowned softly, “Huh… Tristan’s not home… I wonder where he went.”

 

“He’s Probably Hanging Out With Friends.” Sans replied, sweating a little bit at the deception. It wasn't too far off, although he wasn't sure how Papyrus and Wingdings were getting along with the human. If anything, he figured Pap would at least get along with the human boy. They had a similar, lazy attitude.

As soon as Roxy opened the door, she noticed the aroma of freshly cooked tacos, and her mouth instantly started to water. Being so exhausted, she had forgotten just HOW hungry she was, and energy perked her up as she sniffed the air eagerly.

 

“Oh wow!” she exclaimed, as Sans closed the door behind them, continuing with enthusiasm, “Oh man, it smells SO good!”

 

Sans grinned weakly. He’d tried his very best, to make a delicious dinner, going all out and using every trick he’d learned since he’d started teaching himself using the internet and human cookbooks.

 

Roxy looked over her shoulder at him and smiled, gesturing a little awkwardly, “Well, mi casa su casa.”

 

Sans blinked in surprise before his face broke into a relaxed smile, “ Gracias! Mi llamo Sans! Mi Gusta Queso.”

 

Roxy blinked before giggling, “I didn’t know you knew Spanish!”

 

“Oh, Not A Whole Lot. I Think I Just Told You That I Liked Cheese Or Something.” Sans laughed softly with her, as he added, “I’m Still Learning It. Alphys Told Me That Learning A Second Language Was A Good Thing, And Well, You Know, I Am Obsessed With Tacos.”

 

Roxy flushed, as her mind went somewhere dirty.

 

“Ah, w-well, let’s get into some dinner! Should I make some tea?” She’d asked, trying to hide how flustered she had gotten.

 

“Sure!”

 

As they worked to set up the table, Sans kept sneaking glances at Roxy, gaging her mood and grinned as he noticed her humming softly and swaying her hips.

 

“What Are You Humming?” he asked suddenly. “I Don’t Think I’ve Heard That Song Before.”

 

She went white, as she looked at him like a deer caught in the headlights. Coughing, she mumbled.

 

“Er, What?”

  
“Ah, um, it’s a song… called, uh, FoxtrotUniformCharlieKilo.” She said in a rush, praying that Sans wouldn’t-

 

OH NO HE DID, his eyes were wide and his cheeks were blue, as she saw him put together the first letters of each word.

 

“I- uh, Kelsey got it stuck in my head.” Roxy smiled sheepishly, before Sans coughed, “Oh, No Need To, Uh, Explain Yourself-Is That Really The Name Of The Song?” he backtracked, looking genuinely curious.

 

Roxy nodded, her heart pulsing at his adorable expression and Sans asked, with very wide sockets “Is It… Is It R _eally Literally A_ bout-“

 

“YES.” Roxy giggled, although she was blushing like crazy, “It’s full of um, sexual innuendos… which, you know, Kelsey _loves_. So of course she would play it non-stop, while we were waiting for you.”

 

That was only partially true. Roxy had had reluctance in telling Kelsey about the afternoon incident, and Kelsey played the song as blackmail, flustering Roxy into telling her what happened. And now the embarrassing song was stuck in her head.

 

Sans frowned, blinking down at her, he tentatively replied, “It Sounded Like Such A P _leasant_  Tune, Surely It Can’t Be _That_ Bad?”

 

Roxy bit her lip, the blood rushing to her cheeks explosively as she choked.

“No. No, Sans, it IS that bad.” She’d giggled in reply.

 

They sat down to eat and as Roxy bit into the first taco, she moaned, closing her eyes in bliss. Her body, near starving, soaked in the flavors and she quickly finished the taco in a few bites and began to reach for another.

 

“Sans this is amazing! You’re such a good cook!” She beamed at him, chewing the second taco a little more slowly.

 

Sans glowed with pride, admitting, “I Wasn’t A _lways_  Very Good At Cooking. I Used To Burn Food All The Time, Thinking That’s How Humans Cook. But, Once We Moved To The Surface, I Learned Differently. Defeating All My Bad Habits Took A While, But I Finally Got It!”

 

Roxy giggled, “Aw, it’s ok. Man, it’s _so_ yummy!”

 

Sans wasn’t able to keep from watching her mouth as she licked her lips, his gaze following the drag of her tongue across her plump bottom lip.

 

He blushed as he felt the stirrings of his magic and, mortified, quickly looked down at his plate, focusing on anything else.

 

“I, I’ve Thought About Getting A Degree, Or Certification In The Culinary Arts, But I Love My Own Job So Much. Teaching Others How To Defend Themselves, Watching People Acheive Their Goals In Their Physical Health, It's Extremely Rewarding! I’m Not Sure I’d Want To Cook For A Career.”

 

Roxy chewed thoughtfully, arguing, “I can see that… it just seems like such a shame to deprive the world of your skills-WAIT!” her eyes widened and she grinned, “You should start a MeTube channel! And that way, you wouldn’t _have_ to quit your job at the gym!”

 

Sans blinked before his pupils burst into stars, his grin growing.

“Roxy! That’s An AMAZING Idea!”

 

Roxy giggled, “I can even help you, if you want! I have some small video editing skills!”

 

Sans was laughing, shaking his head, he looked at her fondly, “ _This_ Is Why I Love You.”

 

….

 

Roxy blinked.

 

Sans flushed with horror. Crap, that's not how he was supposed to confess!

 

“Oh My Stars. Roxy, I-”

 

“Sans, I love you too!” Roxy blurted in a rush, before she could lose her nerve. She felt like her heart was literally going to explode, both with relief that she was _finally_ saying the words she had longed to say for so long, and fear that it was a big mistake, as tears shone in the corners of her eyes, “I… god, I’m so s-sorry, for doing this to our friendship, but _I have_ to tell you. I’ve been in love with you for quite a while now, and, and-“

 

She trembled, looking away from his shocked, blushing face, she quivered, her stomach plummeting as she remembered the way Megan had smirked at her.

 

“ _Looks like he downgraded.”_

 

Roxy stood to her feet resolutely, looking down at the ground as she trembled.

 

“Sans, if you don’t feel the same way, I understand, I _know_ I’m nothing special, but -”

 

She never even saw him _move_ , as she was suddenly enveloped in a strong embrace.

 

Sans had knelt before her, his head level with her chest, as he wrapped his arms around her waist, his skull pressed to her shoulder. She could feel him trembling, as his grip grew tighter.

 

“DON’T,” he growled softly, “Don’t EVER Say That You Aren’t Special In Front Of Me Again!”

 

In softer tones, as his grip around her tightened, he murmured, his font dropping in sincerity, “Roxy, you… heh, you beat me to it. I was supposed to confess to you, but not like that… I love you too, so very much. I… I’ve been so _alone_ without you… You’ve shown me how to be confident in myself again, you’ve shown me _genuine kindness_ and I was _so scared_ that you didn’t feel the same way! B-because I… I-“

 

Roxy blinked, as he faltered, her heart seemed to stop, and she shyly tilted his head toward her face, looking right into his sockets as her heart hammered.

 

Sans jolted at her touch and his sockets widened as she leaned into him, pressing her plump lips resolutely to his teeth.

 

_Oh god, is this a mistake? Am I rushing?_

But her doubts stilled and calmed, as she felt Sans lean into her, his body tensing and relaxing by degrees, as he nuzzled at her mouth.

 

Roxy gripped his shoulders tightly, her heart stuttering and stammering, but her mind at peace, as they drew back, his SOUL pulsing and her heart hammering with excitement.

 

“That… that was…” she stammered dreamily before he stood, scooping her up in his arms, he kissed her again.

 

Roxy wrapped her arms around his shoulders, her mind going hazy with awe at his raw strength , as he carried her to the living-room, sitting on the couch and setting her down in his lap.

 

“Is this ok?” he asked softly, his cheeks dusting blue, even as he gazed at her lips with longing.

 

“More than ok.” Roxy replied shyly, leaning forward to kiss him again.

 

The elated Skeleton was shocked when he felt her mouth open against him, her soft, pink tongue brushing at his bones gently and shyly.

 

_…I Might Actually Die Tonight, But At Least I’ll Die Happy!_

 

Sans thought to himself in elation as he cupped her face with his large tender hands, angling his mouth against hers as he accepted her request into his mouth.

 

His glowing aquamarine and incandescent yellow-streaked tongue reached out to tenderly taste her own mouth, a rumbling, groaning whine leaving his throat.

 

God, he could practically _taste_ the smell of her, she was _so_ ready for him, right here and now, the hazy scent of leaf piles and coffee beans growing musky and sharp.

 

Roxy moaned at the sensations of his tongue laving at her mouth, her chest heaving as her heart began to race, heat pooling down around her core.

 

Her shoulders were growing hot, as she felt his hands grow bold, grasping at her opposing hip and shoulder, eagerly squeezing into her flesh with long phalanges.

 

God, he tasted _so_ good, like wintergreen and cozy, starry winter nights. She moaned into his mouth, and he all but growled back in response, as they parted, a trail of saliva and ecto-plasma between the two of them.

 

“…Oh my god, Sans. You’re such an amazing kisser.” She grinned goofily, her normally large eyes half lidded and hazy.

 

Sans admired her flushed face and neck, licking his chops, he chuckled huskily, “You’re Quite Good Yourself, And So Very _Tasty_ … Can… Can I Kiss You Some More?”

 

“Yes… yes please.” Roxy nodded furiously, but before he could, she shyly cupped his face with her hands and shifted in his lap, so that she was straddling him.

 

“Sans… you are _so_ important to me, you know that right? I only want to be with you. I want to be your friend… and your lover… although,” she blushed, “the…. The lover part can w-wait, if you’re not ready.”

 

Sans gently touched his forehead to hers, admitting quietly, his font shifting to a sincere lowercase, “speaking honestly, Roxy, I would like nothing more than to… become your lover… but I don’t _want_ you to think that… that I’m just using you. I want to woo you… show you that I’m _serious_ about you…”

 

Roxy blinked, as tears threatened to spill from her.

“You… oh god, sans, I can’t believe… I can’t believe you actually feel that way about _me._ ”

 

Sans smirked softly, “What’s there to not believe? I would _never_ lie to you. You are-” he nuzzled her cheek, “-The most _beautiful_ \- “He licked behind her ear, “-The _softest,_ -“ He gently tested his teeth at her earlobe, causing a shiver to go down her spine, “- The _sweetest_ -“ And he gripped her waist tightly, flipping their positions on the couch, he hovered over her, gazing down lovingly, “-Most _precious_ person to me. And if it takes my _entire_ life, I’ll keep telling you that, until you believe it yourself.”

 

Roxy really did cry, tears slipping down her cheeks. No one had ever said anything like that to her before, and she felt quite ready to give Sans her body, whatever he wanted from her.

 

Sans gently brushed her tears away, a little flustered, "Sweetheart, don't cry.... please... won't you smile for me?"

 

Roxy giggled, her tears flowing joyfully as her lips pulled into a contented smile, "Only if you kiss me more, Sans."

 

Sans chuckled softly, as he continued to kiss her, exploring and experimenting with her mouth. She tasted so very different from the human he had been with before, so much sweeter, gentle and refreshing.

 

Sans broke away from her mouth to dip to her neck and collar, thrilling at the sharp intake of breath she took and savoring each drop of sweat, every salt-filled tear of happiness and longing, and he began to dip lower, nipping skeletal kisses to her chest.

 

She arched, crying out sharply, “S-sans!”

 

Sans groaned, the way she said his name was _magic_ , it had to be, like a spell that she had cast over him as he continued to taste her soft skin.

 

All he wanted to do was claim her as his own. And yet, something held him back, and it formed into a solid thought that stilled the magic swirling like a gale wind inside of his SOUL.

_I Haven’t Even Taken Her On A Proper Date. She’s Not Some Cheap Person And I Refuse To Treat Her As Such. We Have Time. All The Time In The World.”_

Roxy blinked, feeling so warm, so happy, her body heated under his. A yawn ripped from her mouth and Sans noticed that quite some time had passed. She still had school and work in the morning and he berated himself for keeping her up so late.

 

Sans smirked as he sat up and picked Roxy up, holding her so her legs straddled him, he stood and carried her away from the living room.

 

“W-wait, th-the food on the table!” Roxy protested.

 

“I’ll take care of it. It’s time for you to go to bed.” Sans replied with a soft grin. "We can... boondoggle some more later." he winked and she blushed, smiling goofily at him.

 

Roxy yawned again as he carried her to her room, setting her down at her door, he started to walk away in order to clean the kitchen, but her hand snagged his sleeve, halting his steps suddenly.

 

He paused, looking down at her and she looked back at him with hesitant yearning.

 

“P-please… will you stay the night… with me? We… we don’t have to fool around but… I would like to sleep beside you.” She murmured.

 

Sans’s sockets widened and he stammered, “O-of course!”

 

Her smile broadened and she pulled him into her room. He could hardly believe how well this evening had gone, it was even better then he could have imagined.

 

“We can clean up tomorrow.” Roxy smirked softly.

 

The bed creaked and groaned under his weight, but Roxy didn’t seem to care as, fully dressed, she slipped under the blankets with him, making sure they were both covered before snuggling into his body, murmuring, “Good night, Sans... I love you.”

 

Sans’ SOUL pulsed, and he felt himself swell with happiness, as he replied, in a happy murmur, “Good Night, Roxy. I Love You Too.”

 

Thoughts raced through his mind, as he gazed down at her already sleeping form. _Wowzers_... she must have been really tired.

A burst of confidence and a swell of inspired joy made him tremble, as she murmured sleepily and pulled him closer.

 

Would things be perfect? Probably not, however, he was sure that he had found the right person.

 

Time would tell, he was certain.

 

As he lay in her bed, cradling her close, he glanced up towards the ceiling, blushing excitedly and thinking, just a little ruefully, “ _Pap Will Never Let Me Live This Down.”_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to Mage_Mitsu. Your comment made me laugh so hard dude. Thank you!


	26. Spooky Season

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Papyrus comes to a realization about Justine, and she about him.  
> Things happen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, this update is super late. BUT! Here it is!
> 
> A WARNING! There is a SMUT SCENE in this chapter! EXPLICIT SMUT. I'll tape it off, if that is not your thing, so you can skip it...

 

When Papyrus heard the doorbell ring, he didn’t expect to see a human boy, with a stack of pizzas in hand.

 

“Hey. I’m Tristan, Roxy’s brother. You guys, uh, you guys up for some pizza?” Tristan chuckled, looking a little sheepish. Papyrus definitely stood a whole head and a half taller.

 

Papyrus snickered, “Yeah, sure… so you got kicked out huh?”

 

“Eh, let’s just say that whatever is going on at my house, I’m not interested.” Tristan replied with cough as he entered the house.

 

Papyrus shuffled to the kitchen, “This way, dude… I’m Papyrus by the way.”

 

“Nice to meet you, dude. Sans talks about you a lot. You’re freaking lazy, huh?”

 

“Same as you, I guess.” Papyrus replied smugly.

 

Tristan laughed “Touché, man,” as he set the pizzas down, looking back up, he grunted, “I’m expecting that I might need to-“

 

“Crash here? No prob. You can have the couch.” Papyrus helped himself to a pizza, as Tristan nodded, “Yeah, that’ll work.”

 

There was a knock at the door, and Papyrus frowned, as he went to answer it.

 

To his surprise, it was Asgore, and the boss monster looked very serious.

 

“Hello Papyrus.” The gentle giant said in a weary voice.

 

“Oh, hey, Old Man. Wanna come in? I’m just sitting down for a bite with a friend.”

 

Asgore looked uncomfortable and struggled for words. Papyrus instantly caught on and called out to Tristan in the house, “Hey, man, make yourself at home. I gotta step out a second.”

 

“No prob, dude!” Tristan called back, already munching a pizza.

 

Papyrus closed the door behind him, looking at Asgore with concern.

 

“What is it?”

 

Asgore seemed to hesitate before he replied, with a slow, thick voice,” She’s back.”

 

Papyrus felt a chill run down his spine

 

“What do you mean she’s back?”

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Tristan blinked and yelped slightly in surprise, as a very tall, very thin skeleton suddenly appeared in the kitchen, one with cracked sockets. The skeleton yelped as well, both of them startling at the sight of the other.

 

“Uh… er, hello. Are you… lost?” The skeleton asked in confusion.

 

“… You’re Sans’ other brother, aren’t you?” Tristan asked, feeling just a little stupid.

 

“Oh, you’re a friend of Sans? Yes, My name is Wingdings.”

 

“I’m Tristan, Roxy’s brother. I got kicked out, cause Sans is smashing Roxy.” Tristan added with a huff.

 

Wingdings, who had lifted a glass of water to his mouth, spewed it all over the counter.

 

“Oh…sorry, dude, I thought ya’ll already knew.” Tristan grinned sheepishly.

 

Wingdings shook his head, but added with reluctance, “Papyrus and I saw it coming… just didn’t expect it this soon. You are most welcome to stay here.”

 

“Pfft, I’m surprised he took so long. For real, dude.” Tristan snorted, “They always made goo-goo eyes at each other, it was kinda gross, to be honest. Like please, get a room… another house, actually.”

 

Wingdings chuckled, a little saddened as he explained softly,” Sans… had a previous bad relationship. I was unfortunately not here to support him when it happened… it’s quite something that Roxy has come along for him.”

 

Tristan paused and his face dipped in understanding.

“Oh geez… The uh… the same thing happened to Roxy too, actually. She had a douchebag of a boyfriend.”

 

Wingdings grabbed a piece of pizza and shook his head.

“Fate has woven a tapstry and now, things will never be the same.” He murmured.

 

Tristan stared at Wingdings, his grey eyes widening.

“Dude, you look like a badass… you excited for Halloween?”

 

Wingdings frowned, tilting his head.

“What is Halloween?”

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~

 

Papyrus was struggling, his chest heaving, as Asgore explained things to him.

 

Temmie had told Chara about her… encounter, and how things had gone. Papyrus shakily took out a cigarette, breathing in the smoke, he snarled, “She just keeps coming back, doesn’t she?”

 

Asgore shook his head.

“I’ve already contacted Toriel, to ask her for the number of the lawyer who helped us last time. Does Sans know?”

 

Papyrus frowned and shook his head, “Actually, I don’t believe he does, unless Roxy already told him… Old man, if you don’t mind, I need to go and check on a friend.”

 

Asgore nodded softly. “I’m so sorry about all this, my old friend.”

 

“Same here. Take care.”

 

And Papyrus vanished.

 

He had to go and find Justine. He had to make sure that… that she was ok.

 

_Who could be ok after dealing with that trash?_

 

He appeared at Muffet’s first, but upon inquiry, had been told that Justine had stopped in, drank herself into a drunken fury and then stumbled off, ranting about the injustices of the world.

 

Papyrus would have laughed, if it wasn’t such a fucked situation.

 

Stepping outside, he grumbled. He could, just barely catch her scent, that deep scent of whiskey and old pine wood. It was a scent that had been ingrained into his senses, had wiggled its way into his good memories, all the fond times, the terrible jokes, her snide, sneering expressions, her wry mouth….

 

_Justine, it’s not your fault. I should have told you._

Following his nose, Papyrus growled, as he made his way to an apartment building. The scent was growing stronger, and he managed to shortcut through the void, in order to slip through the glass door.

He knew this was a little intrusive, but damn it, Justine had intruded on his life, had stepped in so many times when she really didn’t need to, in order to bring a smile to his face and he would be damned if he didn’t do the same.

 

He followed her scent, and vaguely, he could hear depressive music coming from behind an apartment door.

 

It sounded like Sade.

 

With a deep breath, Papyrus raised his fist and knocked.

 

KNOCK-KNOCK

 

“Who’s there?” a voice that sounded like it was crying.

 

“Yarn.”

 

A pause and the music cut off.

 

“Yarn who?”

 

“Ya don’t need to yodel, I can tell you’re excited to let me in.” Papyrus snickered softly.

 

Her door unlocked and he was suddenly met with a gripped hug around his waist. Justine was a little taller then the average woman, but he still towered over her.

 

She was sobbing.

 

“You damn bastard, you weren’t supposed to be here.”

 

He chuckled, “You’re not the boss of me here, Justine. I do what I want.”

 

Justine sniffled and Papyrus hugged her, unable to speak. He’d expected her to be shaken…. But she was _sobbing._

“Justine, hey, hey, its ok.” he smoothed her short, bobbed hair, which was sticking up every which way.

 

She snorted, “I’m a goddamn terrible friend, Spooky.”

 

“The FUCK did you say?” Papyrus growled, “Who the fuck ever said that? You’re a terrible person, not a terrible friend, you doof.”

 

Justine hiccuped and toppled. Papyrus steadied her, taken aback. She never let herself get this drunk.

He helped her into her apartment, closing and locking the door, he helped her to her couch, adding quietly, “I’m sorry for just showing up like this… but I heard about today.”

 

“Oh GOD.” Justine hiccuped, giggling, “Man, I really screwed the pooch on that, huh?”

 

Papyrus shook his head, “Justine, you couldn’t have known. I never said her name, hell, I had barely told you about what happened. You don’t even _know.”_

 

Justine hiccuped again and Papyrus shook his head, standing, he went to her kitchen, feeling a little awkward about just being in her home, but he put aside his inhibition and got her a glass of water.

 

He went back and sat next to her, holding out the glass.

 

“Drink that, Justine.”

 

She hiccuped and took the water, sipping slowly.

 

He shook his head, “You’re gonna have a hell of a hangover.”

 

“And so? I fucking _deserve_ to feel terrible. Fuck, Spooky, what if you had come in when she was there, _what if Comic had come in_.” she trembled, “it was bad enough that… that Comic’s sweet girl was there, I.. I ..-“

 

“JUSTINE.” Papyrus took her face in his hands gently, staring into her eyes.

 

He felt his soul thump, stars, her hazel brown eyes were so beautiful, it was like looking into a field of sunflowers. Bright, amazing and bold, just like her spirit.

 

She’d never treated him as anything other than a person. As a friend.

It was everything that he had ever needed.

 

And he resisted the urge to nuzzle her very drunk face, as he told her in a tone that booked no argument, “Justine, you _didn’t_ know. No one could have known. And you know what? You gave her what justice you could, which I’ll bet anything is far more karma than she’s ever gotten in her entire life.”

 

Justine hiccuped. And her cheeks swelled.

 

_Fuck_

Papyrus grabbed her and took a shortcut to her toilet, letting her blow chunks into the bowl as he held her hair back.

 

It was… pretty gross. The stench was awful.

 

But he didn’t leave. He couldn’t.

 

Not when she was suffering so much… heh, she’d done a similar thing for him, too, when he’d drank too much, which used to be quite often.

 

As she emptied her stomach, she moaned, “God… please… stop the room…. I’d like to get off this ride now.”

 

Papyrus chuckled softly, rubbing her back gently, “It’s ok, Justine. It’ll be ok.”

 

It took some time, but eventually, she was well enough to go to bed.

 

Papyrus took her to her bed and gently tucked her in, looking at her in puzzlement.

 

How _was_ it that she could care that much… She was… a weird human.

 

His soul thumped and he grunted.

 

“Damn it, woman… you’ve got yourself twisted into my SOUL.”

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Roxy’s alarm went off and she shot up from bed with a yelp, slapping what she thought was her alarm. Instead, she smacked something hard, and there was a deep, startled yelp next to her.

 

“OH MY GOD! Sans!” Roxy squeaked, her hands flying to her face as she blurted, “I’m so sorry!”

 

“Ow… No, It’s Ok… Your Alarm Is Quite Loud… Wow, You Get Up Earlier Then I Do.”

 

She groaned, "I have to, to catch the bus to school.”

 

Sans blinked in surprise.

 

“You… Oh. I Suppose That Makes Sense.” He frowned and then asked, “What Time Is Your First Class?”

 

“Oh, it’s at 7:30 a.m.”

 

“No Problem.” And he pulled her into his embrace.

 

“S-sans?”

 

“I Can Get You There On Time, And Still Be Early To My Job. You And I Are Gonna Snuggle Some More, If That’s Ok With You.” And Sans buried his face into her hair, murmuring, “Stars, You Smell _So_ Good.”

 

Roxy squeaked, her heart thumping very loudly, as warmth pooled into her belly.

 

Sans growled softly, “Oh, Yeah, You Smell _Real_ Good.”

 

“S-sans?”

 

“M’ Sorry, Am I Making You Uncomfortable?” he murmured, his tone suddenly shy, even as he tightened his arms around her, nuzzling into her neck, causing shivers to go down her spine pleasantly.

 

“N-no! Just, heh, you, uh, god, you’re so nice to me... i love the way you make me feel.” Roxy replied in thick tones, squirming so she was facing him, she pressed her lips to his teeth, smiling sheepishly as he squinted happily at her.

 

“M’ Just Being Honest… For Once, You Know. I’ve Wanted To Tell You So Much… Ever Since I Met You, To Be Honest.”

 

Roxy blushed as his eye lights flashed into hearts, his smile gentle and tender, “It… feels really good… to be on the same page, so to speak.”

 

“Y-yeah.” Roxy murmured, as she shyly asked, “Can, can I kiss you some more?”

 

“You Don’t Ever Have To Ask.” Sans replied, and she giggled slightly, “I’ll have to get used to that.”

 

She leaned up and kissed sans, on his cheek, then his teeth, nuzzling under his chin. She sucked in breath as his hands wandered over her body, gently massaging her back and lightly running up her shoulders.

 

“Oh man, that feels good.” She admitted softly.

 

They fooled around a few more minutes before Roxy got up with a huff.

 

“I really need to get ready to go… I, uh, Sans?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“… feel free to come over and spend the night anytime you want… I, uh, this was the best morning I’ve ever woken up to.” She admitted, her eyes shining.

 

Sans swallowed, as he watched Roxy leave, openly ogling her now, as she moved around her room, gathering fresh clothes.

 

She blushed.

 

“I’m uh, gonna take a shower. Make yourself at home, please.”

 

“Oh, Uh, Of Course! Thanks!” Sans grinned, a little bashfully, as he swung his legs out of her bed, grateful that the bed had held up under his weight.

 

He went into the kitchen and began cleaning, humming softly before he suddenly realized. He’d forgotten about breakfast tacos…

 

…

 

Alphys and Undyne were gonna be _pissed._

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

“EXCUSE THE FUCK OUTTA ME?” Alphys roared as she stood in the Gaster house.

 

Wingdings rubbed his sockets tiredly as he heard Tristan yelp awake from the couch in the living-room.

 

“Sans spent the night at Roxy’s house.” He repeated quietly

 

Alphys and Undyne both gaped before simultaneously going into full-on fan girl mode; shrieking, squealing and starting an angry debate over how far Sans and Roxy had gone.

 

“OH MY GOD, PLEASE!” Tristan shouted from the livingroom, “I DON’T _WANT_ TO THINK ABOUT THAT! THAT’S WHY I’M _HERE_!”

 

Alphys looked over at the couch,” Who the hell are you?”

 

“Oh, this is Roxy’s brother, Tristan. He lives with her… unless Sans starts spending more time over there, then I suspect he’ll start living over here.” Wingdings replied dryly, as Papyrus came slouching down the stairs.

 

“Oh hey… did Sans actually stay over at Roxy’s?” The youngest Gaster asked in some small measure of surprise, “Heh… our boy’s growing up.”

 

Alphys chuckled softly, “I’m gonna kick his ass for not letting us know he’d be busy. Gonna have to catch breakfast somewhere else now. Welp, you guys have a good day! C’mon, Mermaid, we’re going to Sand-dollar’s for breakfast.”

Wingdings and Papyrus waved and Undyne smiled sheepishly, “See you at work, Wings.”

 

“You too.”

 

Tristan grumbled as he slumped into the kitchen, looking like a zombie.

 

“Need some coffee?” Wingdings asked with a jack-o-lantern smile.

 

“…Yeah.” Tristan nodded, “Please.”

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Roxy felt like she was weightless, as Sans drove her to school, taking his helmet off to give her a skeleton kiss.

 

“I’ll text you later, Sans.” She smiled goofily, and he returned her goofy grin, “I’ll Be Looking Forward To It.”

 

As Roxy turned to go to her class, she caught sight of Kelsey, who saw the whole thing.

 

“Oh. My. GOD. DID YOU MAKE IT TO THIRD BASE?!” Kelsey gushed, and Roxy turned bright red, muttering, “Oh god, Kelsey, let me keep _some_ secrets.”

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~

 

“Are you sure, Temmie?” Chara frowned, as she looked at Temmie in confusion.

 

“I’m _positive_ , Chara. Roxy used magic to knock that bitch down. It was awesome… but I didn’t expect it and _neither did she_. “ Temmie replied testily, her eyes narrowed.

 

Chara shook her head, “That… that is weird! How?”

 

Temmie huffed, “it’s rare, but there used to be mages, you know, before monsters were sealed underground.”

 

“Hmm.” Chara frowned, “I don’t like this… why’d that woman reappear _now_? I didn’t think she’d _do_ something like apply for a job at an ice cream shop… wasn’t her family rich?”

 

Temmie scowled, “How should I know?”

 

Chara sighed as she hugged Tem, ignoring the doll’s protests, she muttered, “Tem…

Thanks for telling me. I’m gonna have a talk with mom and dad… maybe there’s something more to this than we thought.”

 

Temmie shrugged, as she grumbled under her breath.

“She better not try anything.”

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

All over the town, Halloween decorations were going up. Roxy had to struggle not to blush every time she saw another plastic skeleton, and Temmie’s teasing was relentless.

 

Roxy was turning pale and blushing by degrees, hiding her face in her hands as she groaned, “For the last time, Tem, Sans did NOT bury any bones in my backyard!”

 

Temmie cackled,” He so did! Look at how red you are!”

 

Roxy grumbled, “That’s not fair, meanie-pants.”

 

The two were walking down the sidewalk, well, Roxy was walking, Temmie was riding her shoulders again. They were on their way to a new monster shop that had opened, one that Roxy had read about online.

 

“What’s this place called again?” Temmie grumbled.

 

“Uh… I can’t remember. It was something pretty cute though.” Roxy replied, “Like… the flower shop?”

 

“Huh…” Temmie muttered, looking around before she glanced down at Roxy.

 

“Hey, Vanilla?”

 

“Yeah, Tem?”

 

“… How’re you feeling?”

 

“…A little tired, but ok. Nothing weird.”

 

“Hmm…” Tem nodded to herself.

 

“You totally used magic yesterday.”

 

Roxy paused, in her steps. Her chest constricted and she nodded softly. It was shocking to hear it spoken aloud… but that made so much sense.

 

“How? And why?” Roxy murmured as she kept walking.

 

“Beats the heck out of me, Vanilla.” Temmie muttered as she caught sight of the new shop. Her face vibrated and she sweated slightly.

“Uh,… so, Flowey opened a shop, huh?” She muttered.

 

“Oh! Do you know the monster who runs the shop?”

 

“… I’ve seen him around.” Temmie replied in an evasive tone.

 

Roxy didn’t pay attention to it, as she murmured, “Temmie… how’d you know I used magic?”

 

“It was obvious. And…I may or may not have seen the First Royal Scientist, although I’m still a little fuzzy on that.”

 

Roxy shook her head, her gut twisting anxiously as they walked into the shop. They were immediately surrounded with the sound of catchy, popular songs and a friendly, cheerful voice called out, “Howdy!” I’m Flowey! Flowey the Flower!”

 

Temmie swore softly under her breath as Roxy turned towards the voice, blinking in surprise.

 

“Hello, little guy! It’s nice to meet you! I’m Roxy!” Roxy giggled, her heart melting at the sight of a cute little flower monster, who seemed rooted behind the counter. A golden flower with a sweet, cute face.

 

“So nice to meet a new customer! Please look around! All proceeds go to my college fund!”

 

Roxy cocked her head and smiled, “I feel that, dude.”

 

Temmie warped off Roxy’s shoulder, muttering, “I’m gonna look around.”

 

“Ok, Temmie!” Roxy went her own separate way, keeping an eye out for the doll as she surveyed the items. There was a lot of things in packages called “Friendliness pellets.” She decided to try some and frowned as she heard a soft laugh.

 

Turning her head, she caught sight of Temmie, sitting on Flowey’s counter and chatting.

 

A blush spread through Roxy’s face as she saw the soft look on Temmie’s face.

 

_Temmie… liked Flowey…_

_…_

Roxy went about her shopping with a soft smile. That was just too cute. And now, she had some blackmail against Temmie. Excellent.

 

Roxy took a deep breath as she contemplated the events of yesterday. It was strange to think that… that she had magic. It was unbelievable…

 

…

 

She fully intended to ask Sans about it later, when he picked her up from College.

 

She blushed, thinking back to the text she had sent him, asking if he’d like to spend the night at her house again that weekend. His reply had been very enthusiastic, and she smiled softly, her heart stuttering happily as she pictured sleeping beside him in bed again, maybe fooling around…

 

Her head nearly exploded with blood as she blushed.

 

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Not surprisingly, Justine had called in to work, calling to ask Papyrus to stop at the shop and check on it.

 

He did so before heading to her apartment.

 

Justine opened the door and looked up at Papyrus with bleary eyes.

 

Papyrus looked down at Justine with compassionate sockets, as he held out a bag of fast food from Muffet’s and a bottle of aspirin.

 

“I heard these were good for hangovers.” He said sheepishly

 

“Bless your soul, Spooky.” Justine croaked as she stood to the side and let her skeleton friend in.

 

The apartment was a mess. There was music still playing softly, and the couch looked quite lived in.

 

“You doing any better?”

 

“Pfft, Spooky, I feel far less alive then you look right now.”

 

She replied thickly, nursing a bottle of water and taking small bites of the burger and fries.

“…So.” Papyrus muttered as he sat down next to her. “Wanna talk about it?”

 

“Not particularly. I made an ass out of myself last night. Hired your sweet brother’s terrible ex. Got drunk and sick last night. You know. It’s just not a great moment for me.”

 

Papyrus ran frustrated hand over his skull as he reiterated, “If anything, I should be apologizing to you, Justine. You shouldn’t have had to deal with that little bitch.”

 

Justine snorted, looking away as she murmured, “I should have known.”

 

Papyrus snorted, “Look, Justine, lemme tell ya something. When that bitch first came sniffing around, she was a snake in the grass. She was very much a skilled little actress, had us all very fooled. Including me, which is pretty hard to do, because I… I had an important role in the underground. I can sense the intentions of humans, and hers… I couldn’t see her intentions. I think it’s because she didn’t know her own intentions either. She had no plans, she just… came in and asserted herself. She gave Sans attentions that he longed for. She seemed perfect for him and he was…”

 

Papyrus struggled.

“He _loved_ her so much. He drank up all her attention like it was… like it was _candy.”_

Justine snorted softly.

“Let me guess, the minute he started trying to grow, trying to change with his life here, she didn’t like it?”

 

“…You could say that. But the thing is… she was _fucking_ him. And out of the blue, she started expressing _disgust_ for him.”

 

Justine looked at Papyrus with curious eyes.

 

“So, you guys have junk?”

 

“Yup.” Papyrus eyed her out of the corner of his sockets as she looked away, muttering, “I knew it.”

 

“… surprised?”

 

“Not really. I mean… Don’t get me wrong, Spooky, I don’t spend _many_ hours of my day thinking about how you get it on, but, uh, I mean, you told me that she fucked your brother, so… naturally, I had some questions.”

 

Papyrus shrugged. He felt so stupid, for wanting to say something ridiculous like, _“Wanna see it?_ ”

 

“… Yeah sure.”

 

Papyrus’s sockets widened and he nearly jumped from the couch.

 

“Oh shit, did I just say that out loud?!”

 

“Yup.” Justine chuckled.

 

“And you said yes?”

 

“Well, duh. Why would I say no to such a treat?” She replied softly, looking at him with an expression that wrenched his soul… oh shit… she… she liked him _back._

“I... I uh-"

"You don't have to." she cut him off, "We've got a bit of an age gap, and I understand that you were probably just jok-"

 

Papyrus cut her off, as he leaned in and set his teeth to her lips firmly, wrapping his long phalanges around her face and pressing close, his SOUL pulsing with hunger and need.

 

 _Stars_ , she tasted like fast food and alcohol and something wilder underneath, like a forest of strong Pine trees, and as he felt her soft lips kiss him back, moaning in surprise, Papyrus felt more sure of himself, feeling her grasp at his shoulders desperately as she pressed back.

 

Justine’s piercing on her tongue scraped against his teeth and he opened his mouth, his orange and gold tinted tongue languidly wrapping around hers as he gripped her to him, panting heavily as they drew back.

 

“ _Hot damn,”_ she whispered before pulling him by his hoodie collar, sucking on his ecto-plasma, growling softly, “Fuck, I’ve wanted you for _so._ _Long.”_

 

Those words echoed in his head, how could he be _so_ stupid?

 

Papyrus scooped her into his arms with a snarl, grunting, “Where’s your bed? Cause I have a feeling it needs a spring test _right_. _Now._ ”

 

 

 

SMUT Starts

* * *

 

 

 

Justine pointed vaguely as she grabbed his face to kiss him more, moaning softly as she tasted that strange, luminescent tongue she’d caught glimpse of so many times before.

 

It was like sucking on some sort of straight up honey with notes of smoke and lemon.

 

The mattress met her back and he moved from her mouth to her neck, biting and chuckling, “Did I ever tell you that you’re a hell of a milf, Justine?”

 

“You asshole, I don’t have kids.” She snarled, her core growing dripping wet under his ministrations.

 

“You should.” He huskily whispered against her throat, “You’d make a great mom.”

 

Those words dug into her soul and almost made her want to cry. So many people had told her before that they felt she should never reproduce… and Papyrus knew that.

 

“… Can I have yours, Spooky?” she whispered thickly, uncaring as to how that sounded, moaning under his tongue and teeth as he pulled off her shirt and raked his gaze over her tattooed breasts.

 

He shuddered in sudden arousal at those words, growling as he roughly gripped one of her heavy breasts in his hand while he lapped at the other, enjoying her whimpers and the feel of her hips bucking sporadically up against him.

 

“Stars, you’re so beautiful, and _such_ a badass-  _hhng-,_  fuck!” Papyrus groaned as he felt his magic straining at his zipper, and he hissed, suddenly worried. She wasn’t a delicate thing, but he was so much taller then she.

 

“ _Let me see it_.” She growled at him.

 

He sat up, raising a brow, “Yes ma’am.”

 

She gripped his waistband and unbuttoned his pants, her curiosity piqued as she shimmied his cargo pants down. She gaped, at the sight.

 

His tongue was the same coloration, but this… this was _not_ human. Those ridges and spines were intimidating and intriguing and she swallowed hard, as he cupped her chin in his hand, that shit-eating grin on his face, “Like what you see?”

 

She jerked her chin away and he cried out in shock as she pressed her mouth over him, tasting more of that magical essence that made up his tongue and flushed his bones in brilliant, glimmering light.

 

There was a smokier taste and far more lemon than honey.

 

She moaned sweetly, as her hangover edged away from her brain, the sharpness of him permeating her senses as she bobbed her head at his pelvis.

 

Papyrus didn’t dare to touch her head, he didn’t want to accidentally hurt her, so he gripped her shoulders, groaning and panting.

 

It had been _so long_ since someone had been this forward with him, hell, he didn’t even think anyone had actually been so bold.

 

That wasn’t surprising, it was Justine. She didn’t back down and she was brutally honest…

 

Papyrus pulled out of her mouth, forcing her back down against the mattress, he smirked.

“I think it’s my turn. I showed you mine… now you show me _yours_.”

 

She grunted, “Be my guest, but don’t expect anything spectacular-“

 

He cut her off with a searing kiss, snarling, “If you say one more bad thing about yourself, I’m gonna spank you. I’ve had enough of you bad-mouthing yourself for one day.”

 

She blinked in surprise and flushed at the threat, as he snatched her sweatpants off her hips, taking in the sight of her thick thighs and beautiful hips. Her arms and legs were tan from the sun, but her sweet belly, breasts and pelvis were pale, the tattoos far starker against her skin here and drawing his attention to the incredible art that lined her body.

 

“You’re such a beautiful canvas. Your skin is so soft and sweet…” He muttered before nudging her legs apart, opening her like a book he was eager to read.

 

She was watching him warily, her hazel eyes slightly fearful and clouded with desire.

 

It was ridiculous, she’d had sex before, and yet, this made her so fucking nervous.

 

“Ah!” she moaned, as a far slicker, far longer tongue then she’d ever felt before bushed her delicately, stroking and lapping carefully and slowly.

 

“F-fuck!” she moaned, twisting her hands into his hood, “Oh Fuck, P-Papyrus!”

 

Papyrus could have grinned, as she actually spoke his name, instead of her nickname for him but he was pre-occupied with her taste and the sounds of her moaning.

When she squeaked and mewled at him, he knew he was on the right track, slurping at her with avarice and hoarse, guttural moans, “Oh _fuck_ , Justine…”

 

“Please, by all means!” she squealed, throwing her head back as she felt her coils wind tight, in that familiar, bursting feeling-

 

As she came, Papyrus became aware of two things; she was screaming his name, and her back had popped with the force of her arch.

 

The noise vibrated through him, the sound of  _her bones_  set an edge in his teeth and he was instantly on her, snarling into her skin, as he lined himself up with her dripping, pulsing entrance.

 

“Ready?”

 

“If you don’t fuck me right  _the hell_  now, we’re gonna have some problems, Papyrus Gaster.” She snarled.

 

And he tilted his grin deviously at her, hooding his sockets as he smirked, “Yes, ma’am.”

 

How could he describe it? A hug? Like a tight embrace from her most intimate of places?

 

He moved slowly, watching her face carefully as he let her relax, accommodating his size. She huffed and hissed, straining against him, she moaned, “Ah, god, please don’t stop!”

 

“You got it, Justine.” He groaned as he adjusted his position, keeping his sockets on her face as he pulled away and then thrust back in, groaning with the delicious friction.

 

She rubbed him in all the right ways, and apparently, he did the same for her, as she whined and sobbed with pleasure, her skin slick with sweat as the bed began to squeak and whine underneath them.

 

“Ah,  _Justine_! Oh fuck!” he grated, “Please! Oh fuck, PLEASE!”

 

“Come on baby.” She moaned, cooing sweetly at him, as she felt her walls clench tightly around him, “Cum for me.”

 

That plead wound him up and had him tilting her pelvis upwards as he leveraged himself tighter into her core, panting and groaning, he felt her walls clench, pulse, her breath heave and suddenly-

 

“-PAPYRUS!” She mewled helplessly, and he felt his magic reach that peak, spilling into her as he gave a barely stifled growl.

 

She reached for him, as he pinned her down, arching into her.

 

Justine pulled him close as she sobbed and giggled. They rested against each other without words, the sounds of their heavy breathing filling the air and Papyrus pulled her around to lay against him.

 

* * *

 

SMUT ENDS

 

“You ok?” The tall Skeleton finally got the clarity to ask as they lay in bed.

 

“Oh god… I’m fucking fantastic.” She muttered, “Fuck me dead.”

 

“I’d rather not.” He grinned, “I kinda like having you around.”

 

She snorted, “Cheese-wad.”

 

“You love it…” he froze. Damn it. That was probably not the best thing to say after sex.

 

“I could. I might very well love it. We might try dating, huh? See if we love it?” she chuckled hopefully into his hoodie, breathing his smoky scent.

 

“…I’d like that very much.” He replied softly, his soul swelling with elation.

Well this was ass-backwards...but he didn't have any regrets.

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Roxy grumbled, unable to focus on her homework.

 

Her phone dinged and she grumbled again, it was Cinna and Kelsey in their group chat.

 

Kelsey had texted Cinna that Roxy had gone straight to fourth base, or something and now they were both hounding her.

 

Thankfully, Tristan hadn’t asked about it. He was minding his own business and she felt quite grateful about that.

 

Another ding, and Roxy checked the message. It was Sans, asking if she wanted to go for a run.

 

She paused at that thought and muttered, “Fuck it, I can’t focus anyways.”

 

She sent an affirmative reply and quickly pulled on some leggings and a jacket, hoping that a quick workout would get her readjusted.

 

She paused, thinking back to her conversation with Temmie.

 

… _I need to tell Sans about what happened._

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, that happened.


	27. Call It Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans and Roxy learn some new things about each other.
> 
> Papyrus gives Tristan some options.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK. WOW  
> I haven't updated this in near a month. I feel so bad for poor Swap, all his counterparts are getting some action and he's not even at 2nd base XD
> 
> A warning for uh, intense making out.

 

 

By the time Roxy and Sans had made it back to her house, Roxy felt like she was simultaneously dying and walking on air.

 

Sans had gone a little easier on her, and she could have _sworn_ that he was checking her out, which made her both giddy and anxious.

 

However, as he grinned down at her, hardly a cerulean sweat broken on his skull, she felt her anxiety melt away, replaced by the bubbling of joy.

 

“That was an awesome run!” she giggled, “I feel like I’m getting faster with you… although today, I’m pretty sure you were holding back.”

 

“… I Might Have Been Enjoying The View.” Sans chuckled, winking at her.

 

She blushed and her mouth tilted in a goofy grin, “You’re bad.”

 

“Why Is It Bad To Enjoy Such A Gorgeous Sight?” Sans smirked, crossing his arms as he relished the way she began to fluster.

 

“I- I, uh, S-sans, that’s not fair!” she protested.

 

“Life’s Not Fair, You Know… But I Feel It’s Been A Little Fairer Since You Came Into Mine.”

 

Roxy blushed and looked away, murmuring,” I… I feel the same way.”

 

Sans chuckled softly as a swell of happiness gave him the goofiest grin and reached out to touch her chin, he tilted her face back his gaze he clicked his ecto-tongue against his teeth.

 

“I’m Glad.”

 

“Uh, do you wanna come in? For a little bit?” Roxy blurted. She didn’t want him to go just yet.

 

Sans blinked in surprise before he grinned and nodded, “Sure! I Could Go For Some Water, Actually.”

 

As they entered the house, Tristan was just leaving. He looked at them shrewdly and muttered something about not coming back.

 

“What’s His Problem?” Sans muttered softly and Roxy grinned, “He’s just squeamish.”

 

As she went into the kitchen to grab two glasses of water, Sans followed, his eyes still drifting over her form, now that they were no longer jogging in the dark, appreciating the tilt of her hips as she filled both cups at the sink.

 

“See something you like?” she teased, turning to find him staring, even as she blushed at him.

 

“… Very Much.” He chuckled, downing the liquid in one gulp.

 

She eyed him, as he licked his teeth with his tongue, her eyes following the motion of the ecto-plasma.

 

He noticed her staring and felt a little self conscious, tilting his head, “Do You, Uh, You Don’t Mind It, Do you?”

 

Roxy flushed and blinked, her mind drawing a blank as her eyes snapped to his sockets.

 

“Um, mind? Mind what?”

 

“My, uh, my magic.” He murmured, his font dropping to lowercase as he started to feel nervous.

 

“Oh, hell no, no, no, I don’t mind it at all! Why, why did you think that?” Roxy asked, suddenly horrified.

Had she said something to make him think that?

 

“I, Uh, I Just… I Don’t Want To Make You Feel Uncomfortable?” Sans gave a lopsided grin, looking so strangely nervous and adorable.

 

Roxy giggled, putting her glass down, she gave him a soft expression as she wrapped her arms around him, drawing him into a tight hug.

 

“You couldn’t make me uncomfortable, Sans. Never. And… I really like your, uh, your tongue. It, um, it feels good and uh, it, uh…” her voice was muffled as she moved her face to snuggle into his shirt, flushing.

 

“Um, What Was That? I Didn’t Hear You.” Sans asked, his soul pounding at the words he did understand.

“YourtonguetastesreallygoodandIreallylikekissingyou.” She said in a rush, her eyelids squeezed shut.

 

 ...

 

Those words hung in the air and Sans felt his soul drop.

 

She… she liked his… _taste…OH STARS IN HEAVEN…_

 

Blushing deeply cobalt, he chuckled softly, before squeezing her tighter against his frame and humming, “Any Time You Want A Taste, I’m _More_ Than Happy To Oblige.”

 

She flushed and allowed herself to peer up at him and the pit of her stomach began to heat up at the look in his eyes.

 

Her own tongue moved thickly behind her teeth and lips, as she replied in a quiet and husky tone, “What about, uh, right now?”

 

At those words, Sans chuckled, “I Might Be Able To Swing That.”

 

He gently reached under her arms and set her on the counter, so she was closer to his height.

 

He chuckled softly, gazing into her face as he brushed the distal phalange of his thumb over her lip, chuckling teasingly, “Shorty.”

 

Roxy snorted softly before tugging timidly on his bandana.

 

He bent and she closed her eyes as the scent of his magic drifted over her face.

 

_The excitement of wintergreen and the muskiness of intrepid waterfalls washed over her again, taking her breath away and throwing her heart into overdrive._

He nuzzled her lips, grinning as she giggled against him, her breath hitching as he wrapped one large hand around her waist and used the other to cup the back of her head before he allowed his ecto-tongue to gently tease her lips, asking for permission into her mouth. Her scent was permeating his senses, like autumn leaves and the comforting warmth of a cafe.

 

Roxy opened her lips with a soft gasp, her eyes closed in yearning, as she felt him slip into her accepting mouth, tasting her, wrestling playfully with her own tongue as he pulled her body closer, his hands gripping her waist and neck gently, yet urgently.

 

God, this felt like such a sweet, sweet dream...

 

Roxy moaned, as her heart began to pump, heat flushing along her body and heat pooling between her legs.

 

“S-sans!” she moaned, her breath burning in her throat.

He pulled away from her mouth to kiss her neck, groaning deeply, “Stars, You Smell _So_ Good… _Hnngg,_ Ah, GOD…”

 

That giant hand at her waist began to rub at her back, and the hand at her neck shifted, to grip her shoulder as he very gently but eagerly _pulled_ her towards his body and mouth, tenderly licking along her collarbone.

 

Roxy whimpered softly as she felt his teeth graze her skin, a contrast to the soft, wet appendage that laved at her skin in careful, measured movements.

 

Her skin flushed and tingled, with each lap of his tongue, leaving a cyan trail of ecto-plasma, and her own pink flushed skin, when she wrapped her legs around him, marveling. Yup. There was something tangible, under his shirt. There was NO way he was just bones.

 

“S-sans?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Uh… you’re a skeleton, right?”

 

Sans paused, and she felt him tremble slightly.

 

“I, yes.” His voice had dropped, and she wriggled, as he tried to distract her by licking along her earlobe.

 

“Huh, mm, Sans?” Roxy shivered at the sensation of the cool tingle of his tongue at her sensitive spot.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Can I… Uh… Can I see under your shirt? Cause, I swear to god, there's more to you than just bones right now.”

 

He paused, and she winced. Fuck. Maybe that was the wrong thing to ask.

 

“I, if you really want to… i’m not… i’m not really anything special.” He murmured quietly, his font dropping.

 

Roxy gave him an incredulous look.

 

“Sans, really? You tell me that there’s something special about everyone, heck, you, uh, you even think _I’m_ special-“

 

“-You Are Though!” He blurted in protest.

 

“Ok, but you can’t be a hypocrite!” Roxy argued shyly, “You are too sincere a guy to compliment people like _me_ and then turn around and beat yourself up!”

 

She reached out and gently gripped his skull, as he flushed, looking into his eyes, she murmured, “You are one of the most important people in my life right now, Sans. You showed me that I’m worth something, and you’ve taken the time to listen to me, and support me. Believe me, I don’t get that very often. Now let… let me show you… how much I care about _you_.”

 

His mandible practically fell open when she leaned against him and dragged her tongue against his cervical vertebrae, moaning softly into his bones, as she gripped him by his collar and ran her tongue over his spinal column and his clavicle, nibbling softly, as she tested his sensitivity, pleased to hear his needy whines and soft rumbling grunts.

  

Sans shivered, his magic was fully stirred and flushing through his bones, leaving him gasping and moaning as his normally cold bones became alive, sensitive with magic, clutching Roxy's small figure to his body as she laved at him, breathing against his temporal bone, she murmured, “You taste so good… think I can have more?”

 

… _Oh Stars!_

He gulped and shivered, as she pulled back, her eyes hazy, “If you don’t want to, that’s fine-Mmmf!”

 

He gripped her by her cheeks and fervidly pressed his teeth to her lips, opening his mouth to lave at her, groaning hoarsely, “Stars, Roxy, You Can Have Every Last Inch Of Me, If You Really Want!”

 

"... I do." Roxy admitted, moaning as he caressed the small of her back. 

 

She wriggled against him, and he chuckled, “What About Your Brother, Won't He Be Back Soon?”

 

“We can go to my room.” Roxy smiled coyly.

 

Sans swallowed hard, at the implications there. But he simply stroked her hair and murmured, “I’d like that.”

 

Scooping her into his arms, he carried her, Roxy giggling and protesting, “I- I’m not too heavy?”

 

“Stars No!” Sans smirked, raking his eyes over her, he grinned, “You’re _Tiny_ … I Could Carry You Everywhere.”

 

She shuddered, as her door closed behind them, and he sat on her bed, placing her in his lap. Sans' ribcage was heaving, he was suddenly nervous all over again, as he asked, “Is… This Really Ok?”

 

“Mmm, more then ok, Sans,” Roxy giggled goofily, as she leaned up and kissed his hyiod bone, running her tongue over the bottom edge of his mandible, she giggled as he hissed and hummed, “S-stars, That Feels So Good!”

 

“Mmm, good.” Roxy mumbled, adding softly “I have no idea what I’m doing, I’ve never kissed a skeleton… are you sensitive?”

 

Sans swallowed hard, as he murmured,” I… I Can Be. You’re, Uh, Doing A Really Good Jo-” he sucked in his breath, cutting off his words as she gently _bit_ his clavicle.

 

“Ah! I- I’m sorry!” She blurted, letting him go.

 

He trembled, sweating and chuckling as he looked down at her, “No, No, It’s… It’s Ok. It… Uh… _Wowzers_ …. Will You Do It Again?” he asked breathlessly, squeezing her as she scrambled in his lap, straddling him as best she could, she nodded and began to lick and nip at his clavicle, gripping his humerus bones, she dragged her teeth across the smooth surface before tucking her face between his mandible and spinal column, her tongue caressing where his neck would be.

 

Sans couldn’t help it, he knew the magic developing at his pelvis was _very much in danger_ of manifesting and he leaned back, allowing her better access as he panted gruffly, “Roxy, I… I Am Really, _Really Enjoying This… A Little Too Much, If You Know What I Mean.”_

Roxy’s eyes widened at that implication, and excitement swelled in her belly as she stopped and darted a coy look into his flushed, hazy expression.

 

“I… I _wanna_ keep going.” She murmured, as elation swelled inside of her. She couldn’t believe she was having this effect on him. _She_ was making _him_ feel so good.

 

Sans was startled at her declaration and he looked ashamed as he murmured, “Are you... are you really sure? I…”

 

Roxy’s face fell, as she felt the sting of what she thought was rejection and he quickly corrected, “I’m so sorry! This isn’t because of you, I-“

 

He swallowed thickly and hollowly admitted, “I’m afraid you… you’ll change your mind if you see me.”

 

“What!?” Roxy blurted, flushing, “Sans, I… ok. How about a trade?” she asked, as with trepidation, she offered, “I’ll let you see me… if you let me see you. That way… That way we’re even?”

 

She braced herself, only to be surprised as he gently clasped her face in his hands and lovingly brushed his thumbs over her cheeks.

 

“That… that seems fair to me.” He murmured his aquamarine eye-lights turning a dark, hungry cobalt as he nuzzled her, before drawing back, reaching down for his shirt. She did the same to her shirt, nervous as all hell.

 

W _hat if he thought she was fat? He was gonna see the rolls on her belly, those bulges she could never seem to get rid of, and… what if he was disappointed in her cup size, which was less than an A?_

 

The thought killed her and yet, as Sans looked into her face and counted, “One, two, three-“ She knew somehow, he was just as nervous.

 

So she lifted her shirt, eyes tightly shut, before opening them, and gazing at the mystery that had plagued her for the past month. _What did Sans have under his shirt? What was that substance she could feel, when she hugged him?_

 

She blinked in surprise when she tossed away her shirt. This certainly explained _everything_.

 

Did she expect the aquamarine and cobalt shaded blue glow that encased beneath his ribcage and extended into his pants like a ghostly, athletic body? No, not in the slightest. But she was _very_ intrigued, almost forgetting her own self-consciousness until he asked, in a low voice, “You know… we’re not… completely even.”

 

She blinked stupidly, before realizing what he meant. And she flushed before biting her lip and nodding.

 

Her old, worn sports bra was set over her breasts, hugging them and hiding her bosom from his view.

 

She reached down, over her chest, and tugged the sports bra up over her chest, peeling it off and tossing it away, flushed at she looked up anxiously into Sans’s face.

 

Her eyes widened at his awed expression, his eye-lights morphed into swollen, deep cobalt hearts.

 

“You… you’re _perfect._ ” He mumbled softly, as he reached out, running his hands over her bare waist before trailing up to cup her perky, symmetrical breasts. They weren’t even a _handful_ , in his grasp, but they were so very soft and sensitive, apparently, if the hardened peaks and her stifled whimpers meant anything.

 

Roxy shivered violently at his touch, her eyes hazy as she arched into his grasp and murmured, “You’re not so bad yourself… may I touch you too?”

 

“Yes, Yes _Please_.” He groaned huskily, and she nodded softy before reaching out and-

 

Sans tried to relax and closed his sockets in pure bliss. However, he opened them right back in surprise. She hadn’t touched his _ecto_ first, like he'd expected… she was running her fingers along his sternum, her eyes wide with fascination.

 

“Wow… Your bones are so thick… and _smooth_.” She marveled, looking up at him with unblinking eyes.

 

“I… Thanks?” Sans shivered as she tickled along his ribs, brushing the edge where his ecto met his bones, her eyes absorbed where the pearl off-white of his bones flushed with the ethereal cobalt and aquamarine substance.

 

This… this was what gave him that _shape_ she had observed under his clothes, what she had held onto, all those times that he had embraced her, and what had kept her grounded when she rode behind him on his motorcycle.

 

Roxy looked back up to his flushed face, hesitant, but eager.

 

“So… you have a magic body?”

 

“I… Uh, Yes?” Sans grinned sheepishly, "Yes, It Is Magic."

 

Roxy giggled, before raising a brow.

 

“Is it… like your tongue?”

 

“Er… It’s… A Little More Complicated Than That.”

 

Roxy finally brushed a hand against his ecto-torso very gently, her eyes wide, “Oh wow! It feels so very _soft_ -“

 

Sans whimpered and Roxy’s gaze went back up to him. He had… moaned so very _loudly,_ the sound had thrilled straight through her, heating her body with a self-confidence she had never felt before. Roxy brushed his ecto-plasma again and he gasped audibly, his cyan and gold-streaked tongue falling from his maw as she brushed her hands experimentally down his body.

 

He groaned with need, as he felt the warmth of her soul’s gentle intent, her focused fascination and her desire to explore him.

 

It was with a relieved grin that he gave her a gentle leer, the longing to _touch_ her overcoming him.

 

“Heh, Two Can Play At That Game, _Sweetheart_.”

 

Roxy looked up, just as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down, so she was lying against him, kissing her mouth and running his hands over her back and cupping her clothed ass, giving her butt a rough _squeeze_ that had her squealing into his mouth.

 

Roxy squirmed against him, drunk on his kiss, her mouth searching and hungry before she shuddered hard, as he reached underneath her and sought out her breasts, feeling her soft buds with eager phalanges.

 

“Ah!” Roxy gasped, jerking up from his touch as she writhed in pleasure.

 

“Is This Ok? Stars, You’re So Soft And P _retty_ …” Sans murmured softly, as he brushed his thumbs over her now pebbled nipples, running his tongue over her lips, grasping her tightly against his body before lightly running his phalanges over her skin, grasping her face gently, he angled her face and slowly nuzzled her, moaning as she licked his teeth and sucked on his tongue.

 

Elation swelled inside of Roxy, her whole body was heated, flushed, her chest was tingling and her eyes closed with dizzy pleasure, as she tried to go further, tried to reach him-

 

Wait.

  

Her eyes snapped open, to see his mirroring astonished expression.

 

“…Roxy… Were You Always Able To Float?”

 

…. _She was levitating over him, her body hovering over his._

“… Sans are you playing a prank on me?” Roxy asked in a stupid voice.

 

“What?! No!” Sans replied, his sockets wide as he gasped, “ARE YOU USING MAGIC?!”

 

“…AM I?!” She squeaked, and he suddenly giggled as his sockets lit up, grasping her by her soul, he brought her back down, wrapping his arms tightly around her, he rolled over, so she was underneath him, prevented from floating away.

 

“When did this happen?” He asked her softly, longing to continue their physical exploration, but holding himself back, reminding himself, “ _Patience. We Have Time. We Have Time To Continue This.”_

“… I don’t really want to tell you… but it happened yesterday.” Roxy murmured.

 

Sans squinted slightly, cocking his head. Her soul suddenly felt heavy, and he was all too familiar with that feeling. A terrible dread welled inside of him, but he clung to her, caressing her hair, kissing her cheek, he murmured.

 

“… Tell Me What Happened.”

 

“I… I don’t want to spoil this moment.” Roxy admitted, pleasing softly

 

Sans grinned lopsidedly.

 

“We’ve Got All The Time In The World, Roxy. You Can’t Imagine How Happy I Am That… That I Get To Hold You Like This. You Seem To Have Some Ability For Magic. That’s HUGE. I Want To Know What Triggered It.”

 

“… Sans I met your ex.” Roxy replied in a low tone. “I met your ex and… something happened inside of me.”

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Papyrus couldn’t say he was surprised when Tristan showed up again.

 

“They’re at it again, eh?” The tall Skeleton chuckled.

 

“Please let me stay here tonight.” Tristan begged with a grumble.

 

“Sure man. Come on in.”

 

Wingdings didn’t even look up, his work spread across the table as he muttered softly to himself in a strange language, humming occasionally.

 

“Is he ok?” Tristan asked in a whisper and Papyrus chuckled, “Yeah, he’s fine. Wanna step outside for a smoke?”

 

“Sure.”

 

The two stepped out in the backyard and Tristan settled onto a chair, looking up at the sky.

 

“You know, I think they should just move in together.” Tristan muttered.

 

Papyrus chuckled.

 

“You could live here, if you like. We’ve got room.”

 

“Ha, not gonna lie, that’d be really cool… I don’t have a job though, couldn’t pay you rent. It’s been tough, trying to find work.” Tristan admitted.

 

Papyrus lit up his cigarette and blew an orange cloud into the night air, considering.

 

“You need a job, huh? I happen to know a place. How do you feel about ice cream?”

 

Tristan grinned lopsided.

 

“I _love_ ice cream.”

 

Papyrus chuckled.

“Good to know. I’ll talk to my boss. You can come in tomorrow, for an interview. Sound good?”

 

“I’ll be there!” Tristan exclaimed with sudden elation, “Thanks man!”

 

“No problem.” Papyrus chuckled softly. He was still thinking about Justine, and what had happened yesterday. His bones itched, at the memory of her skin, her pierced tongue and the eager sounds that had driven him so very crazy.

 

… he was gonna have to actually put out some effort and take her on a proper date. He owed her that at least, for being such an idiot all these years he’d known her.

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

“… You Used Gravity Magic.” Sans finally spoke, looking at Roxy with composed sockets.

 

After explaining the incident, Sans had been quiet, holding her tightly against his half-clothed body and grateful that his magic had calmed.

 

He felt many things; anger, fury and remorse.

 

Megan had dared to not only intrude on papyrus’ workplace, but she had _attacked_ Roxy. 

 

And that stirred deep swellings of something unpleasant inside him. Something that felt dark, and heavy, and dangerous. He pushed it away firmly, focused on the small figure pressed lovingly against his body.

 

The added detail of Roxy’s _push_ without touch struck an instant understanding inside of Sans, that magic was extremely familiar to him, because _he used it_. So did Papyrus, to an extent, but where Papyrus was a master with the void, Sans’ control over his gravity magic was flawless.

 

He could even cancel out the gravity magic of others; hence he was able to bring Roxy back down, when she had started floating.

 

“Gravity magic?” Roxy asked, bewildered.

 

“You can make things heavy, or make them light. It’s… _my_ specialty, actually.” Sans blushed, chuckling.

 

Roxy was blushing furiously, her eyes wide as she asked, “So… why now? I’ve never had magic before. I mean, the barrier was…” she went quieter, “the barrier was created by humans, right?”

 

“Mages.” Sans nodded, regarding her. “I Don’t Know What This Means. But I Promise, I’ll Be With You, Every Step Of The Way. Who Knows, There Could Be Others. We’ll Have To Tell Toriel. This Is Something She Needs To Know About.”

 

Roxy giggled softly, “You know, you’ve always made me feel so light. You make me feel like flying… I just didn’t think it would be literal.”

 

Sans nuzzled her affectionately, and she chuckled, “We should, uh, maybe take showers… since we’re still gross from our run.”

 

Sans felt his soul flip as she regarded him.

 

“Would you like to go first?”

 

“I, Uh, Are You Asking Me To Spend The Night Again?”

 

“Hmmm, I guess I am.” Roxy smiled, shyly, “you don’t have to, I understand if you’d rather sleep in your own bed.”

 

“I’ll Sleep In Any Bed, As Long As You’re There.” Sans chuckled, and Roxy went bright red.

 

 

".. Would You Like To Come Back To My House In The Morning For Breakfast Tacos?"

 

"Yes!" Roxy squealed, giggling softly as Sans nuzzled her cheek affectionately, "Then It's Settled." 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone following this story! A HUGE thank you to TurtleChix, who has helped me think things through for this story, and a HUGE thank you to S also, who made me some sweet fan-art for my SwapSans boi.


	28. Stirring the Pot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Justine's troubles have just begun. Toriel investigates the possibility of the return of the mages.
> 
> Kelsey grills Roxy about how Skeletons bone...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woof, it feels like it's been forever since i updated this.

 

 

When Justine opened her shop, she paused at the sight of a police car parked outside her shop.

 

It was too early for customers to be stopping by, and she arched a brow when an officer stepped out and handed her an envelope.

 

“You’ve been summoned.” The guy shrugged before walking causally back to his vehicle.

 

Justine blinked in surprise, as she looked down at the envelop in silence. As far as she knew, she hadn’t pissed anyone off-

 

Her wide eyes narrowed, her jaw working in a line as she opened the envelope and looked at the names involved.

 

“… That bitch.” She muttered in a monotone.

 

The irate human was suddenly enveloped with the smell of cigarette smoke and honeyed lemons, as a pair of long arms wrapped around her from behind and a raspy chuckle tickled her ear, “What’cha got there, Beautiful?”

 

“Something bad, Spooky.” Justine replied thickly.

 

Papyrus went quiet, as he saw the document, and his SOUL pulsed as he growled, “She can’t be serious… a civil lawsuit against your shop? For what!?”

 

“Yup. Apparently I’m just very dangerous, and biased against my own kind.” Justine grumbled, her lips twitching at the fine print of the charges that were laid out against her, the sum to be paid well above her income… she’d have to sell her shop to pay what they wanted.

 

Papyrus trembled, his teeth pulled in a scowl as he snarled, “Over my dead body.”

 

“… Spooky, really now?” Justine cracked a smile, as she gruffly mumbled,” I have to go to court next week… I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

 

Papyrus drew her closer, his brows scrunched as he thought hard about the situation.

 

“Don’t worry, Justine. I’ll talk to Asgore and Toriel. They… they’ve had encounters with Megan before.” Papyrus growled angrily.

 

Justine looked up at Papyrus and smirked ruefully, as she went ahead and opened the shop.

 

“It’s alright Spooky. It was within my right to fire her. Not gonna hire someone that I know I’m gonna have a problem with. And besides, I’m giving her severance pay when she hardly worked two days.”

 

Papyrus grumbled quietly as he followed her in, rubbing at his sockets tiredly.

 

“You ok there?” Justine raised a brow and Papyrus gave her a lopsided grin.

 

“M’fine… I just…” he struggled to find the words before he walked over to her and hugged her to him again, holding her body tightly, he said nothing.

 

Justine chuckled softly, as she quickly wrapped her own arms around him.

 

In all the years that she’d known Papyrus, he’d never been touchy feely. In fact, he’d always seemed to go out of his way to avoid touching her…

 

This was a change that she fully welcomed. Papyrus pulled back and ducked down quickly to nuzzle the top of her head.

 

“Might have a replacement for the flytrap, Justine. Roxy’s brother is probably gonna walk in today to apply. Guy’s nice, a little lazy, but seems sincere.”

 

Justine chuckled quietly, as she began to prep the store, shaking her head and admitting, “Honestly, anything’s better than that snake that I just fired.”

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Roxy fidgeted in class, as Kelsey nudged her.

 

There was only 10 more minutes left and Kelsey was jogging her elbow incessantly.

 

“Roxy, c’mon, tell me what happened?” the petite young woman murmured.

 

“Kelsey, wait a moment, geez…” Roxy murmured, freezing as the professor turned a stern glare towards them.

 

Once class let out, Kelsey fidgeted impatiently.

“Seriously, Roxy, you always take the bus. Sans has been bringing you to class the past few days now… what’s going on?” A mischievous gleam entered her face and she smirked as Roxy blushed in response.

 

“Ok look.” Roxy finally began and Kelsey squeaked in victory, “I KNEW it!”

 

“Wait a moment. Sans has been… spending the night, but we haven’t uh, we haven’t…”

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

_Whimpering with agony, Roxy relished the feel of Sans’ cyan and gold tongue laving at her neck and shuddered under the press of his body against her. The deep, rumbling purr that emanated from his chest had her writhing, wanting more-_

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

“That’s bullshit. You’re doing _stuff_ and _things_ with him.” Kelsey snickered, but shrugged as she added with a wink, “Don’t worry, I won’t press ya for details right now. I’m just really happy for you, Roxy. After what you went through, you deserve a normal guy… well, you know. A _nice_ guy.”

 

Roxy just gave a soft smile, as she nodded, stuffing her books back into her backpack and slinging it over her shoulder.

 

“He’s really magic. Truly.” Roxy murmured back quietly, her mind full of questions, hopes and quiet joy.

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Sans was humming cheerfully as he took his break, having finished teaching four classes in a row.

 

He was sweating slightly, cyan droplets staining his t-shirt as he quickly checked his phone.

 

The sight of the text he had received gave him reason to pause, the sweat running down his skull when he saw the message.

 

It was Papyrus. And the news he carried wasn’t good.

 

Megan was back. And she was going after Justine.

 

Sans clenched his fists, his breath heaving with confusion and undeniable anger and _anxiety_.

 

 _Why_? Why was she doing this? What was her purpose in attacking _Justine_? What was it that she intended to stir up _this_ time?

 

Sans felt a chill, in spite of the fact that he was a skeleton, feeling unease settling in his bones at the events that were transpiring. It felt so _unfair._ He felt as though he had finally taken a step forward, with his admittance for the way he felt for Roxy, and _now-!_

 

He paused, his mind reeling.

 

What if she went after Roxy, in the end? Sure, it was Justine that had _fired_ her… but it was Roxy that had _pushed her._

_With magic._

_Unease and doubt began to bubble up inside of him, but Sans took a deep breath, allowing himself to calm. Panicking would do him absolutely no good._

With these thoughts tangling in his chest, Sans quickly dialed Toriel’s number. He knew the former queen would be at work, but this… this felt like an emergency.

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Nothing had changed.

 

Chara groaned as she found her stuff in the garbage yet again.

 

Asriel was at home with a flu, and it was just Chara on her own today.

 

As she set about picking her stuff out of the trash, she thought she heard snickering.

 

The sound should have _bounced_ off her… and yet, today, it was _sticking_.

 

Chara smirked bitterly, shoving her books and erasers back into her bag when a shadow loomed over her.

 

“My child?”

 

Chara froze.

 

Oh no. Toriel wasn’t supposed to see this. She was _supposed_ to be in her office, why was she-

 

_Chara was trying to be strong… this wasn’t supposed to happen._

 

Slowly, she tried to play it off, as she quickly finished shoving her stuff back into her bag and grinned up at her adopted mother.

 

“Hey mom! How are you?”

 

Toriel’s pink eyes gazed down in an expression that screamed perception and understanding, as she replied softly, “Chara, my child… do you know who did this?”

 

Chara sagged slightly, before shaking her head.

 

It was true enough she didn’t know who exactly had done this. She just knew that there were too many to name.

 

“What are you doing here, mom?” Chara asked, hoping to change the subject.

 

Recognition flickered in Toriel’s eyes as she replied gently.

“I wish to discuss this with you later, my child, if you’ll let me. However, right now, I must meet with Roxy and Sans. Something has come up.”

 

Chara fidgeted as Toriel added softly, “I was going to bring you with me. I think we can afford you one sick day, can we not?”

 

“…Ok mom.” Chara murmured, at the look that Toriel gave her.

 

Toriel took her hand and they quickly left the school.

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

“Vanilla, you stink.”

 

Roxy looked up in surprise.

 

“I beg your pardon?”

 

Temmie’s nose wrinkled as she reiterated irritably, “I said you _stink!”_

Roxy wrinkled her nose and snickered, “Huh, that’s funny. Could’a sworn I remembered to put on deodorant-“

 

Temmie groaned and quickly cut straight to the point.

 

“You screwed Sans, didn’t you?”

 

Roxy choked and blushed, “Nuh-uh! I did not!”

 

Temmie shook her head and flatly replied, “ You _did_. His smell is ALL over you, Vanilla. You smell like you took a _bath_ in wintergreen altoids.”

 

Roxy flushed as Temmie grinned mischievously at her, taking her silence as confirmation.

 

“So, uh, Toriel’s coming by, right?”

 

“Oh my god, Vanilla.” Temmie muttered, “You are _such_ a dork.”

 

Roxy gave a faint smile

 

“Never claimed to be anything else!”

 

“Vanilla, this is serious.” Temmie replied flatly, “I need you to be totally honest with me; are you _serious_ , about the way you feel for Sans?”

 

Roxy blinked at the question, her eyes going soft.

“I’m very serious about him, Temmie. I uh…” Roxy blushed, looking over her shoulder, as though to check to make sure no one was looking before leaning forward towards the doll.

 

“I don’t want to rush him, and I certainly don’t want to make assumptions about how he feels for me… But Temmie, I-“ Roxy paused and struggled with her emotions.

 

“He’s _not_ like anyone I’ve ever met before. My last boyfriend was… so very different from Sans, the contrast has me flummoxed. And, I need to be honest, if Sans asked me to _move in with him_ , or… or even asked me to _marry_ him, or whatever the monster equivalent is, I’m not gonna lie, I’d say yes.”

 

Temmie blinked in surprise and Roxy fidgeted, blushing hard and sweating with anxiety.

 

“I know, I know.” she muttered softly. “I’ve only known him barely a month. But somehow…”

Roxy swallowed, “Somehow, when he’s with me, I feel like I’m going to be ok. I feel _safe_ , more safe then I’ve ever felt in my entire life, and there’s a strange feeling in my heart, like...”

 

Temmie sighed softly before warping to Roxy’s shoulder and booping her on her nose.

 

“You’re in love. How _gross_ … but somehow, that makes me feel better.” Temmie chuckled in disgust.

 

Roxy looked at Temmie in surprise,” You, you don’t think I’m _rushing_ things?”

 

“Ya gotta remember Roxy, Monsters aren’t like humans. Not only are our life-spans different, but our concept of love is a little different too.”

 

Roxy took a deep breath.

 

“I _want_ a better explanation than that.”

 

Temmie gave a bark of laughter, as they heard the front door open.

 

“I’m not the right person to explain it. You can ask Toriel, if you want.”

 

So saying, Toriel and Chara came in at that moment, along with Sans.

 

Toriel smiled kindly at Roxy, “Hello again, my child. How are you?”

 

Roxy gave an awkward grin. Oh boy. How the hell could she ask Toriel about this without looking like an utter idiot?

 

So, instead, she just nodded, “I’m well, and yourself?”

 

"The same." Toriel replied kindly as she sat down at the kitchen table, as did Chara, who had plucked Temmie from Roxy’s shoulder, muttering to the doll softly as they sat.

 

Sans shyly offered his arms in a hug and Roxy quickly ran to him, throwing her arms around him joyfully, “Hello again, Sans!”

 

He chuckled deeply, “Hello Again, Yourself!”

 

Temmie looked like she was going to be sick, as she muttered to Chara, “What are _you_ doing home?”

 

Chara shook her head and muttered, “I’ll tell you later.”

 

Toriel smiled softly, as Roxy sat with Sans across from them.

 

“So.” Toriel murmured, tilting her head at Roxy, “I heard that you used magic, not once, but twice now.”

 

“It seems that way, ma’am.” Roxy replied softly.

 

Toriel looked at Sans, who just nodded softly.

 

“Roxy, I’d like you to tell me exactly what happened, in Justine’s ice-cream shop. This is very important.”

 

Roxy nodded and took a deep breath as she explained the confrontation as clearly and linearly as she could.

 

She felt Sans tremble beside her, as she verbally recounted the hurtful words that Megan had thrown at her, and she softly reached for his hand, squeezing it to assure him she was ok.

 

“Something happened, whenever I got in her face. I felt something weird, like a pressure that was building up, and uh, somehow, it was released from me, and when it did, Megan was on her ass, and I was on my knees, feeling as though I’d run a marathon.”

 

Roxy finished, “Justine threatened Megan with violence, that much is true, but Megan refused to leave and made threats of her own, something about how Justine would ‘regret this’. She threw her apron on the ground and left after that.”

 

Toriel frowned as she regarded Roxy.

 

“Who are your parents?”

 

“Uh,” Roxy shifted uncomfortably, “My mom’s name is Desiree McBridgette. I don’t know who my father is. He didn’t stick around.”

 

She shivered slightly and added, “My mom, uh, doesn’t even know his name.”

 

Sans circled an arm around Roxy, as Roxy added softly, “Why is that important?”

 

Toriel stroked her chin, as she leaned back, musing softly, “I remember the original mages, that sealed us underground. They did not survive the spell they cast, but they did have children, and I believe those children would have, in some way, retained their names. If we could discover your lineage, it’s possible that whatever happened in the Underground could have rejuvenated your magical abilities, if you are indeed a descendant of the mages.”

 

Chara frowned, as she thought about the fact that she was… well, she didn’t know who her parents were either.

 

The fact that she could… reset, load, save… She glanced at Temmie, who shook her head quickly.

 

_Ok, Temmie… I’ll wait to say something._

“I’m going to write a note to your school, because I feel it would be wise to have Undyne and Asgore examine your soul for magical properties. This is something that humans would not be able to quantify.”

 

Toriel paused and she put a hand to her forehead.

 

“Unfortunately, this will complicate things for the human government. If magic was truly being held within the Underground, and if, as Temmie has surmised, that magic was released into the world, it’s very possible that other humans could start developing magic.”

 

Toriel looked at Sans and questioned, “You said that her magic has to do with gravity?”

 

“Yes. Undeniably.” Sans replied confidently.

Toriel frowned as she considered.

 

Sans felt his tongue move thickly behind his teeth before he spoke, “There’s More, Toriel. Papyrus Texted Me Earlier… Justine Received a Summons To Court To Pay Reparations For Having Fired Megan So Quickly, As Well As… Emotional Trauma.” Sans’ voice dripped with disgust. He recalled that particular term all too well from his last encounters with his ex.

 

Roxy felt her heart thud, as she growled, “Are you _kidding me?”_

 

Toriel gazed at Roxy mournfully, “ Unfortunately, this is not the first time that Megan has sued monster kind.”

 

“You mean…” Roxy paused, her mind working, as she turned to look at Sans, who shifted uncomfortably.

 

“She sued our family, for ‘ _slandering her name among monster kind_.’ In reality when she ended her relationship with Sans and found that many of her previous monster friends wanted nothing to do with her, she took it personally.” Chara explained bitterly, “So, she took us to court. Claimed that Sans never made her feel safe, and that Papyrus tried to seduce her, god, she spouted all sorts of crap, and what saved us was that ultimately, she didn’t have anything really to prove it, except a bill from her therapist.”

 

Chara paused and looked at Toriel and Sans.

 

Sans continued, his font dropping, as he looked at the table, “in the end, it was settled that i would never try to contact her again, and uh, we… paid a large sum of money, to cover her “therapy” bills.”

 

He look at Toriel regretfully, and she shrugged, adding with a forceful tone,” What stood in Megan’s favor is that her father is a lawyer. She didn’t have to pay a cent of that lawsuit to begin with. It makes sense that she would try the same thing again… But this time is different.”

Toriel’s mauve eyes gleamed slightly, as she looked at Roxy with kindness, “This time, we have you, my dear. You are another human, and surely, that has to stand in our favor. Megan came in threatening _you. And in doing so, she triggered your magical abilities._ I believe, if we play our cards right, we can counter-sue her, in order to enact karma upon her. You will lose out on your schooling, in order to have your soul examined, as well as work. I believe we can ask that she be made to pay for these things, since she provoked you.”

 

Sans felt his mouth fall open and Roxy squeaked,  
“B-but what if it backfires?”

 

“If it does, we’ll deal with the consequences. Either way, this has to stop.” Toriel said firmly, her eyes flashing, “ I will not have this human attacking my family and friends anymore.”

 

They heard a clatter, and turned to the doorway, to see Asgore standing there, looking at Toriel with an expression that was star-struck. He had heard her every word, that old protective nature he had fallen in love with so long ago radiating from her every word and expression.

 

Her SOUL thumped slightly, as she met his gaze.

“Tori…” He murmured as he blushed slightly, looking at her with an expression that gave Chara a reluctant hope.

 

Roxy blushed, as she felt Sans grip her hand, and he murmured,” Will you be ok with this, Roxy?”

 

Roxy looked him in his sockets, taking in the sight of his aquamarine eye-lights.

 

With a soft expression and a beating heart, she nodded.

 

“Whatever I can do to help. I’m not afraid of her, and I refuse to back down. I’ve run from too many problems before. I’m not gonna run this time.”

 

Sans felt his soul thump, and he squeezed her hand softly, encouraged by the bravery and integrity that was flashing through her soul.

 

“Sans, you’re the expert on gravity magic, I want you to accompany Roxy, when she goes to get her soul examined, as an extra measure for inspection. And if you will, perhaps it would be wise to start training her in how to use it.”

 

Sans blinked before the biggest grin Roxy had ever seen him pull beamed from his skull.

 

“I Can Handle That, No Problem!” Sans declared with a low chuckle.

 

Roxy felt her heart thump, as he turned his gaze to her, giving her a wink.

 

“Guess We’ll Have To Add Magic To Our Physical Training! Would You Like That?”

 

Roxy gulped.

“O-of course!” she giggled nervously.

 

“Good! We’ll Start Tonight!” He declared with a chuckle, looking back to Toriel, who smiled softly.

 

“I entrust this matter to your capable hands, Sans.”

 

Asgore had sat down, on the other side of Chara, as he added softly, “Roxy, if you will, you may go home for today.”

 

“Yes sir.” Roxy replied, and Sans stood with her, “I can take you to home, and then to school, if you’d like?”

 

“That sounds amazing!” Roxy replied, feeling her stomach flutter. She had a whole hour before she had to leave for class… a whole hour with Sans… Alone at her house…

 

She flushed as Tem called out, “Don’t be smooching too hard now!”

 

“Temmie!” Toriel gasped, and Asgore coughed, as Chara put a hand to her forehead.

 

But Sans only raised a brow at Temmie and grinned as he replied cheekily, “You Can’t Tell Us What To Do, Temmie!”

 

And he scooped Roxy up into his arms before anyone could say anything and sprinted away, “Talk To You All Later! Have A Good Afternoon!”

 

Roxy clung to Sans, giving a sharp gasp as he moved at an incredible pace with her in his arms.

 

She almost felt like she was Lois Lane, in the arms of her Superman, as Sans quickly moved through the house before using his magic to open the door.

Bolting through the open door, he closed it behind him and chuckled as he set her down next to his motorcycle.

 

“Ready To Go Home?” he asked softly and she nodded eagerly.

 

“Do you… plan to stay until I have to go to school?” Roxy asked in a fidgeting tone.

 

Sans gave her a look that had her heart palpitating behind her ribs, as he grinned, “I Plan To Do More Than Stay, If That’s Alright With You.”

 

Roxy had never scrambled onto a motorcycle so fast before in her life, as she gripped onto Sans’ waist, chuckling at the feel of his solidity and blushing, thinking about how she had _touched_ him yesterday.

 

She couldn’t wait to touch him some more.

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

  

Papyrus leaned back against the counter, as Tristan came in, looking around warily.

 

“So.” The tall, blonde haired boy chuckled, “This is the place, huh?”

 

“Yup. Justine’s _screamin’_ ta meet you.” Papyrus chuckled, as he hiked a thumb towards the employee’s only area and Tristan could hear a husky groan.  _That must be Justine._

 

Papyrus added with a wink, “Don’t let her intimidate you, she’s a big softy.”

 

“You shut up, bitch boy.” Justine’s throaty voice drifted back, and Tristan flinched.

 

“Oh no, she sounds like my _mom.”_ He muttered as he walked to the back.

 

Papyrus grunted softly, as he wiped down the counter again, his mind working as he thought to himself.

 

He remembered, so clearly, the day that he’d really, truly seen Megan for what she was…

 

Papyrus clenched his jaw, feeling sick. She had held no good-will for Sans, there was only a playful carelessness that sickened him.

 

He’d hardly needed to check her soul to see that

 

_And in the end…_

 

Papyrus felt an ache developing in his skull, god, he really wanted to take a smoke break, as his mind flickered yet again, wandering back to Justine… and then harping to the fact that Megan had applied _here._

…

 

_Had she known that Papyrus was here?_

_Surely_ … Papyrus shook with the turn his thoughts were taking.

 

_Surely not…_

 

Sweat dripped down his spine and he glanced towards the back, where Justine was interviewing Tristan.

 _Man,_ he really wanted to go to Muffet’s.

 

A customer came in and he forced a lazy and careless smile onto his face.

 

Nope. He really needed to focus at the task at hand. Thinking about Megan and how she made his non-existent insides churn wasn’t on his agenda right now.

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

They’d been avoiding it.

 

But Wingdings knew that the time was approaching for them to confront the proverbial elephant in the room.

 

“Undyne, you know we can’t keep doing this. That thing needs to be studied.”

 

Undyne looked up from her paperwork and put a hand to her forehead, looking at the locked up soul canister with disgust.

 

“I d-don’t like it, Wings. That thing fed off our neg-gativity like a _vampire_.”

 

Wingdings nodded gently, as he warped right next to the canister, pointing out,” It attached itself to Revue so easily, manipulated her existence, and…”

 

He struggled and felt Undyne’s awkward pat at his spine.

 

“Wings, I don’t know even know how we could study it without risking it getting loose. That was our agreement, the first time we talked about this.”

 

Wingdings frowned, as he gazed at the blackness that hung static in the soul container.

 

the cracks in his skull shifted as his grimace deepened.

 

“It doesn’t even look like a soul… and yet, it _felt_ like one.”

 

Undyne paused sharply, her gaze going to the thing.

 

“You’re right about it not looking like a Soul.”

 

She frowned, thinking before snapping her fingers.

 

“We need Sans and Papyrus, if we’re going to study this thing properly. I’d like to t-talk to Roxy and Chara too, since they seemed to deal with this thing d-directly. We need t-to be _thorough.”_

 

Wingdings nodded in agreement.

 

“I’ll talk to Sans and Papyrus when I get home.” Wingdings slumped into his chair, feeling exhausted. He hadn’t been sleeping well, and he grumbled, “I could use a pick-me-up.”

 

Undyne chuckled, “W-we could get t-take-out from Muffet’s. She has g-good liquor too.”

 

Wingdings snorted softly. “Sounds good.”

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

When Kelsey saw Roxy slink into class, she blinked rapidly before a slow grin spread across her face.

 

She gave Roxy the courtesy of waiting until she had sat down and settled her textbooks and notebooks on the table.

 

…

 

“So, did he get to third base _this_ time?”

 

“KELSEY OH MY GOD!” Roxy squawked, looking at her friend wildly.

 

“HE DID, didn’t he?!” Kelsey squealed happily, looking at the bright red cheeks that Roxy sported.

 

Roxy sputtered and her eyes slid away from Kelsey, as the taller, thinner young woman huffed.

 

“… WAIT, he didn’t?! What the heck? Roxy, you’ve been waiting for WEEKS, why-“

 

Roxy did the only thing she could think of and grabbed a left over napkin from the café, shoving it into Kelsey’s flapping mouth as she hissed, “Can we _please_ talk about this later?”

 

Kelsey blinked, spitting the napkin out, she grumbled, “Dude, ya could’ve just asked.”

 

Roxy snorted, giving a slight giggle, “Look, I promise, I’ll tell you what happened, just not before class, Jeezus.”

 

“Good! Oh! Guess what?!” Kelsey grinned.

 

“What is it?”

 

“I got a job!”

 

“Oh nice! Where at?”

 

Kelsey chuckled softly, “Muffet’s Bar!”

 

Roxy cocked her head and Kelsey’s jaw dropped, “You don’t know Muffet’s?!”

 

“No.”

 

Kelsey’s jaw went firm as she snarled, “We’re going there. This Friday. Bet.”

 

“AHEM.”

 

Kelsey and Roxy both went quiet, as their professor made his indignation known.

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Papyrus grumbled as he came home, only to see Sans pacing, absently cleaning here and there distractedly.

 

Sans paused, as he turned to look at Papyrus, his nasal cavity wrinkling.

 

A grin spread over his face.

 

“Papyrus? You Have Something You Wanna Tell Me?”

 

Papyrus snorted and chuckled, as he chucked his empty lollipop stick at Sans, “Nope, not unless you wanna tell me about where you’ve been sleeping this past week.”

 

Sans flushed, and a goofy smile spread over his skull as he rocked on his feet.

 

“You gonna spend the night over at Roxy’s again, bro?”

 

Sans stuck his tongue out at Papyrus, grunting, “Maybe. Depends On If She Wants Me There.”

 

Sans frowned, as he crossed his arms, “What Happened With Justine? I Mean, I’m Not Gonna Lie, I Thought The Two Of You Were Just Friends.”

 

Papyrus chuckled sheepishly as he admitted to his brother, “I did too… She’s…” Papyrus paused, as he thought about his employer, a soft expression coming onto his features.

 

“She’s always been there, ya know? And… she never treated me any differently, for bein’ a monster. She always treated everyone the same…”

 

Sans grinned, “She’s Really Cool!” He paused and added, “Are You Gonna Date Her?”

 

Papyrus nodded slowly, adding with a chuckle, “Yeah.”

 

“Oh MY STARS!” Sans rushed to Papyrus and swept him off his feet in an excited hug, “I’m SO Happy For You, Papyrus!”

 

Papyrus chuckled, as he patted Sans’ shoulder, grinning slightly.

 

In spite of Megan’s return, Sans was happy. And Papyrus knew he had Roxy to thank for that.

 

“Sans, you’d better get going, you’re gonna be late to pick up Roxy.”

 

The shorter Skele practically dropped Papyrus on his tailbone, as he wildly looked at the time, “Crap! You’re Right!”

 

He ran for the door, grabbing his jacket and helmet, he grinned and waved, “See Ya Later, Bro! Or Maybe Not! Bye!”

 

Papyrus grinned and waved, snickering. He and Justine had agreed to meet at Muffet’s later, and he was honestly very excited about the prospect of seeing her there… and maybe walking her home… and maybe she’d invite him in for a nightcap.

 

Papyrus felt a shiver as he snorted to himself.

“Easy, ‘Rus, don’t wanna get ahead of yourself.”

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~

 

“So, what happened?”

 

“Well…” Roxy coughed, looking over her shoulder as she muttered, “You can’t tell anyone about this, yeah?”

 

Kelsey snorted, “Of course not! I just wanna know how skeletons do it.”

 

Roxy snorted, “I’m not gonna give you the gory details, except that it’s-“

 

“-If you fuckin’ tell me-“

  
“It’s magic.”

 

“-MOTHERFUCKER-!” Kelsey kicked the garbage can and sent it rolling, howling as she clutched at her foot.

 

Roxy laughed, as she picked up the can, helping a swearing and cursing Kelsey to pick the trash that had spilled.

 

“Ok, ok, whatever, so, back to what happened?”

 

“Well….”

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~

 

_The door had closed and immediately, Sans had pinned her to the door, as it shut behind them._

“I’ve Been Thinking About This All Day, Sweetheart.” _He groaned as he nuzzled the top of her head before pressing his teeth to her mouth in a skeleton nuzzle, shivering as he felt her stand on her tiptoes, her mouth opening to lick at his teeth._

_His own mouth cracked open, his cyan tongue meeting hers eagerly and he groaned as he felt her suck and nip at his ghostly appendage._

“Oh My God, Roxy…” _he murmured into her mouth, breaking away, he bent down and hooked his arms under her knees, picking her up so she was level with his face._

_Pressing her against the door, he gasped, as she leaned forward and began to kiss and suck at his cervical column, whispering shyly to him,_ “I’ve been thinking about this all day too…”

_8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~_

“Oh wow! So they have tongues… well, I guess anything’s possible… I’m not surprised that he’s strong enough to pick you up for a make-out session.” Kelsey mused, grinning as she smirked, “Bet he’s big all over.”

 

Roxy flushed, and stammered, “I, uh, I haven’t, uh-“

 

“YOU HAVEN’T SEEN HIS –“

 

“KELSEY, OH MY GOD, WILL YOU LET ME FINISH?!”

 

Warily, Kelsey went quiet.

 

Roxy cleared her throat, “So then…”

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

 _Straddling his lap at the couch, Roxy continued to explore Sans' bones, swatting away his hands as she grunted,_ “I want to touch you.”

“That’s Not - _Oh God_ -  F-Fair!”

“Life isn’t fair,” _Roxy fired back at him as she began to reach under his shirt, pressing her fingers against his ecto-plasma, she hesitated,_ “Can I… can I ask a question?”

_He paused, breathing heavily as he gaze at her, “_ You May… But Only If I Can Touch You.”

_Roxy gave a soft grin and nodded,”_ Fair enough… Sans, is your ecto, uh, does it take effort to maintain? Cause… I know you don’t always have it.”

_Sans shifted, in a manner that seemed… nervous._

_Roxy flushed, feeling horrible, she cupped his face in her hands, apologizing_ , “I- I’m sorry if that’s too personal, I-“

“It, It’s Ok. I Uh… It Depends On What You Want, Honestly. B-But Uh, I Heard That It’s Preferable For Humans.”

_It clicked right then for Roxy._

_Megan._

_Megan had asked him to produce this ghostly body._

_With a frown, Roxy looked into Sans’ sockets._

“Can I see you without it? I…” _she smiled shyly,_ “I’d love to explore your bones some more.”

_He swallowed, his mouth falling open with some surprise and nervous excitement._

“R-Really? Just My Bones?”

_“_ Yes, but only if you’re ok with that. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, Sans. I certainly don’t mind your ecto, it’s fun.” _She winked at him and he flushed with a smile,_ “I Don’t Mind.”

_His sockets flashed, and the glow of his body dimmed before vanishing, until only his bones glowed with the aquamarine of his magic._

_Roxy flushed, somehow… this seemed so much more intimate and she licked her lips as she shimmied until she was kneeling on the floor._

“May I touch you?”

 

“Yes, Yes Please…”

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

Kelsey fanned her face, her eyes wide,” Dude! What are you stopping for?!”

 

“Cause that’s all you get!” Roxy grinned.

 

“NO! I want MORE! God, Roxy, PLEASE, I haven’t been laid in over a MONTH, I _need_ to know what you and your big bony boyfriend have been up to! Let me live vicariously through you PLEASE.”

 

Roxy choked and dryly grunted, “I haven’t been laid either, not in a whole year. So don’t give me that.”

 

Kelsey groaned, “Dude, it’s not fair. I’m so horny, it’s not even funny.”

 

All at once, they heard the roar of a motorcycle and Roxy giggled apologetically, “Sorry, Kelsey, you’re gonna have to wait.”

 

“Yeah, yeah, fuck you too.” Kelsey groaned, “See you later, Roxy!”

 

Kelsey watched with some measure of envy as her shorter, curvier friend ran to the curb and hopped onto the motorcycle.

 

With a sigh, Kelsey turned to her car, glancing at the time, she muttered, “ _fuck, I’m gonna be late!”_ and rushed.

 

Muffet was gonna _kill_ her.

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

Muffet grunted, as her new human employee raced in.

 

“Sugar, you were nearly late.”

 

“Sorry, Boss, I was waiting with my friend for her ride.”

 

Muffet chuckled softly.

 

“I need you on time, Sugar. You made it, however, so I’ll let it slide. If you will, there’s an online order that will be picked up soon. Please go prep it.”

 

“You got it, Boss!”

 

Kelsey ran into the kitchen, moving quickly as she eyed the ticket.

 

Two orders of fries and three spiked spider-cider-shakes… huh. That seemed light.

 

She shrugged it off, it was a small order, no problem.

 

8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

“Don’t worry, Undyne, I’ll get the order.” Wings chuckled, as Undyne parked the car, sweating nervously at the sight of the busy restaurant.

 

“Thanks, Wings.” She muttered, watching as he went in.

 

The tall skeleton looked around, chuckling at the feeling of nostalgia that swept over him. The old place was almost exactly like it had been in the Underground.

 

“Hello, Wings! Long time, no see!” Muffet greeted with a friendly wave, her arms preoccupied with glasses and plates that she was clearing from the tables.

 

“It has been a long time indeed, Muffet. I had the online order, how much do I owe you?”

 

Muffet gave a wink.

 

“I put it on Papyrus’ tab.”

 

Wingdings chuckled, as he put a generous amount of gold in the tip jar by the register.

 

A flurry of motion from the kitchen, and he glanced up, just as the doors swung open.

 

Light from the kitchen blinded him momentarily and a light, bold female voice greeted his auditory senses.

 

“Online Order for Undyne and W.D. Gaster!”

 

He felt a bag shoved into his hands, and immediately, a bold pair of beautitful eyes looked into his sockets.

 

“You have a nice night, sir!” And she whirled away, back to the kitchen.

 

Blinking, Wingdings looked down at the bag, cocking a brow.

 

The kitchen door was violently shoved back open, and the human came racing back, panicked, “Wait, I forgot your receipt-“

 

Perhaps it was fate. Or maybe kismet.

 

It was _certainly_ the fault of that puddle that was on the floor.

 

Either way, after a flurry of movement and a tangling of limbs, Wings found himself Nasal-cavity to nose with the human from before.

 

And to his shock and dismay, he could hear Papyrus’ chuckle, “See, Justine? Everyone just wants to jump my brother’s bones.”

 

… _I’m going to kill him._

“Oh my god! I’m so sorry!” Kelsey quickly got to her feet, her face red, as she gave Wingdings a hand up, “Seriously, sir, are you ok?”

 

“I am ok… unfortunately, the food is not.” Wingdings replied with a husky groan.

 

Kelsey swallowed.

Just great.

She’d barely been here a week and _this_ had to happen.

 

“Just go fix another order, Sugar, I’ll take care of the mess.” Muffet told her in a no-nonsense voice, “That spill should have been mopped up by the dayshift.”

 

Kelsey ran back to the kitchen, her face burning, as she hurried to fix another order, thankfully it was small. Just fries, and the three drinks.

 

…

 

“That was a skeleton monster I was just on top of.” She muttered to herself, feeling her stomach flip as her heart pumped.

 

He was a fuckin’ _handsome_ one too, mature-looking and tall, hell, even taller than Roxy’s bonefriend-

 

Kelsey swallowed and grumbled; She had gotten food all over his nice clothes. God, she just HAD to make a fool of herself in front of the super handsome, sophisticated looking skeleton, now didn’t she? Curse her luck.

 

“ _I hope you’re happy, mom, dad. Hope you’re happy that I’m struggling to live my dreams.”_

8~8~8~8~8~8~8

 

“Muffet? Who was that young lady?” Wingdings asked, he wiped off his jacket and pants.

 

“Oh, her name’s Kelsey. She’s my new nightshift worker.”

 

Wingdings chuckled, “Please, tell her to not feel bad. I was due for a new suit anyways.” 

 

Muffet chuckled, “Will do, Wings.”

 

Wingdings was grateful that papyrus seemed distracted by his lady friend and huffed slightly, flushing lavender. That cute little human practically weighed  _nothing..._

 

Kelsey came back out with the new order, sheepish as she handed Wingdings the bag gingerly, “Sorry about that. Hopefully this time, the food ends up in your mouth and not your clothes.”

 

Wingdings chuckled and gave her a wink, “It’s really not a big deal. Thank you very much. I hope you all have a good night.”

 

Kelsey smiled softly as she turned to Muffet, who gave her a tired smile, “You handled that pretty well, Sugar.”

 

“Thanks boss!”

 

Kelsey paused and cleared her throat.

“I owe you for an order of fries. I gave him one extra.”

 

Muffet blinked before giving a pleased smile.

 

“Very well, I’ll take it out of your pay. Thank you for your honesty."

 

Kelsey nodded with a grin as she went back to the back to continue to prep for the evening rush.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully this wasn't too bad. ^^*
> 
> Happy Undertale Anniversary!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you, if you made it down this far. :)


End file.
